Loving Little Rose
by lizzydhamp1901
Summary: Rose only sees one side of Dimka during VA: the mentor side. But what about the rest of him? He IS only 24, you know. DPOV of VA... with a twist, of course. WARNING: This fic gives our darling Dimka a sense of humor not shown to Rose. Beware.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

I stood in the shadows silently, feeling like a complete and utter moron – or a Peeping Tom, I really couldn't decide which was worse – as I waited for the girls to come in. I was beginning to suspect that they might have been asleep all along when the screams began.

I was immediately crouching by the window, ready to dispose of any attacker sent my way.

"Liss, Liss, wake up." I heard a girly voice whisper calmly. I could not imagine what kind of teen was used to waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of screaming, but, apparently, Rosemarie Hathaway was.

The screams – probably the Princess's, I figured – turned into soft whimpers. "Andre," She moaned, making me realize that it was the past coming back to haunt her and not some freaky visions or something. "Oh, God."

I saw Vasilisa sit up, drenched in sweat. Her best friend was probably kneeling beside her. "Liss, you aren't there anymore. Wake up."

The Princess's eyes finally opened and I retreated to my earlier position behind a tree, certain that they were safe. A lamp turned on moments later, drawing a gray cat into the room. The two girls rose and sat on the bed, framed by the window.

I was shocked into taking a step forward by the dark-haired beauty queen that was Rosemarie. The pictures I'd been shown before the mission – well, they didn't do her justice. She had changed from a fifteen-year-old child into a young woman in the past two years, that much was obvious.

I was caught off guard with the way her hair fell gently across her forehead, the way she gracefully held her neck while her friend fed. Her sun kissed skin glowed a beautiful shade of gold in the dim light, instantly reminding me of long, lazy summers spent at the beach – and at that moment, all my mind could come up with was, "Wow."

The exotic, eastern-looking shape of her captivating hazel eyes beckoned me. Her mouth was a soft shade of pink, her nose as dainty and cute as a button. I had thought the Princess looked like an angel, but, well, she couldn't hold a candle to her best friend.

_Whoa. Wait a minute. Did I just say her nose was _cute_? God, I have got to be losing my mind. Please don't let it be anything more serious than that…_

Vasilisa finished and gently lowered Rosemarie down on the bed. Or so I imagined, since doing this brought her out of my limited view. The Princess left the room briskly, making the cat rush to the windowsill once more. Animals hate dhampirs for some strange reason no one fully understands. It sensed my presence and bristled – like that puny little thing would ever stand a chance against _me_.

_Oh, wait, actually, there was this one cat…_

Rosemarie startled me by stumbling to the window and leaning out, her hair blowing in the breeze. I watched as she scanned the perimeter until her eyes focused on me. I started. Was I visible?

Apparently, I was, because she kept on staring until I took a step back into the shadows made by the trees. I watched her leave in the same direction as the Princess and assumed she was going to warn her and leave the house in an attempt to escape. I quickly ran towards the rest of the guardians.

"They'll probably be coming out the front door any minute, now. Someone better watch the windows, though, just in case." I told them. "I'll run up the street and meet them head-on. You guys make sure they know they're being followed once they're reasonably far away and form a circle when we meet."

Everyone nodded and walked off in different directions. I ran a few blocks ahead, hoping the girls would not turn a corner but trusting my team to keep me informed. I leaned against the brick wall of a movie theatre and waited.

It seemed like only two minutes later I spotted the girls running towards me. Excellent. I stepped into the middle of their path, halting their escape. Rosemarie leaned on Vasilisa weakly, the two girls panting. I could see the wild panic in their eyes as they searched around for an opening. There was none. Rosemarie pushed the Princess behind her.

"Don't touch her." She growled at me. I resisted the need to roll my eyes. Like I would ever hurt either one of them. I held out my hands, hoping to reassure her.

"I'm not going to– " I took a step forward and Rosemarie snapped. She attacked me – well, more like tried – and I pushed her backwards too strongly, making her fall towards the sidewalk. Oops. I quickly caught her by the arm and steadied her.

Which was when I noticed the fresh marks on her neck.

I shouldn't have been so shocked, after all. I'd actually seen them feed, but… That was different. She looked like a feeder.

Or a blood-whore.

Rosemarie caught me staring and touched the marks lightly, pulling her finger back to see the dark blood on them. She grimaced and shook out her hair to cover her neck, wiping her hand on her pajamas.

I let my eyes meet hers. Rosemarie returned the look defiantly and jerked away from me. She backed towards the Princess, getting ready for a fight. Brave girl.

"Rose." Vasilisa said quietly, taking her hand. "Don't."

Hathaway – tough chick, though name – let herself give up. It was really about time. If we hurried we would get back to the Academy in two or three hours. She seemed to be as stubborn as a freaking mule, even when high on vampire endorphins.

Oh, she was a _really_ tough chick.

I stepped towards the Princess and bowed – what? My momma taught me manners. So sue me.

"My name is Dimitri Belikov." I said, doing my best effort to be polite. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."

* * *

**Hi, everyone! Let's keep in mind that, no matter how serious he appears to Rose, Dimitri is a 24-year-old guy. This is my attempt at showing the world how fun he can be.**

**Oh, and there's gonna be a VA movie! Join the page on Facebook so the producers know there's a large fan base!**

**NOTE: This has been tweaked a little (it's not the original version). You may notice some differences if you're re-reading.**

**Lissie**

**PD. Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

As soon as we sat down in the Academy's private jet, the girls started whispering. What kind of Guardian would I have been if I didn't separate them?

"Don't let them talk to each other." I told Ben and Hank. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."

Rosemarie – or, as Vasilisa called her, Rose – shot me a haughty look and stalked off to the back of the plane. I rolled my eyes. We both knew perfectly well that was exactly what they'd been trying to do. Coming up with an escape plan, I mean. And what did she think, anyway? That I would just let her escape and take Vasilisa with her?

I took a seat next to the Princess and offered her a bottle of water. She took it so I wouldn't be offended – how she and Rose became friends was truly beyond me – and gripped it nervously. The poor girl looked terrified.

"Are you alright, Princess?" I asked her worriedly. She nodded. I bent and rummaged through my bag until I found what I was looking for. An Agatha Christie novel "Would you care to read something? That always makes _me _feel better."

She nodded and took the book. "Thank you."

I had spent two long months stuck in a library, trying to get inside the minds of two fifteen-year-olds and figure out where I would go in their place – and now that they were finally in front of me, they had nothing to say.

About half an hour afterwards, as we neared the end of our flight, it was time to switch places with Hank and babysit our other prisoner. I sat down next to Rose, leaving the Princess to her reading. Hathaway immediately turned her face away from me to stare out the window.

A few awkward moments went by before I decided to attempt conversation. "Were you really going to attack all of us?"

Ok, that was not one of my best moments. Unsurprisingly, she didn't even dignify me with an answer.

"Doing that… protecting her like that – it was very brave." I paused for a moment. "_Stupid_, but still brave. Why did you even try it?"

Rose turned to look at me and brushed her hair out of her face. "Because I'm her Guardian." She turned back towards the window. I didn't even bother to correct her.

I sighed quietly. She was mad – and from what I'd heard around campus, making Rose Hathaway mad was not a very good idea unless you were suicidal, but what else could I do? Besides, she hadn't practiced in two years, she was hardly a threat. Still. It kinda bothered me to have a teen so badass she had managed to breach campus security while dragging a Moroi around put me on her death-wish list. I stood up and went back to the front of the plane.

When we finally got back to the Academy, I was practically sweating and begging God to please not let the girls escape. I think I actually might've used the phrase "pretty please," but I'm not so sure about that. And, of course, I might have added "with a cherry on top" after a few minutes, but I wouldn't know anything about that. Even_ I_ have limits.

Oh, stop looking at me like that! _My career_ was on the line. I was pretty fucking desperate.

"Hey, Comrade." Rose said. She appeared to have broken free from Ben with practically no resistance on his part. I didn't even bother to look at her.

"You wanna talk _now_?" I asked.

"Are you taking us to Kirova?" She asked in reply. I rolled my eyes.

"_Headmistress_ Kirova."

"Headmistress. Whatever." I could practically hear the accompanying eye roll. "She's still a self-righteous old bit–"

Rose's voice trailed off as we walked through the center of the commons. I totally agreed with her on the Kirova's-a-bitch thing, but saying it was taking it a bit too far.

At least she wasn't pissed anymore.

We had actually led the girls into the office before I realized how embarrassing that must've been for them. Everyone had been staring at us, but while I had shrugged it off, Vasilisa had blushed wildly. Oh, well. Too bad. A little staring never hurt anyone – though it _did_ damage many reputations.

Alberta and I remained in the office with the girls while the rest of our team filed out silently. Their jobs had been done well, and they had no more business with them. However, I, as Vasilisa's guardian, had _plenty_ more to do.

"Vasilisa." Prince Dashkov said, rising from the chair he had been seated in.

"Uncle." The princess whispered. Tears were in her eyes. I had to admit, the guy looked pretty damn bad.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." He patted the girl's back. "And you too, Rose."

Hathaway nodded, shock clear in her eyes. Prince Dashkov returned to his seat and Kirova's – I'm such a hypocrite – lecture began immediately. I didn't even bother to listen until Rose's voice rose to alarming levels.

"I _did_ do my duty! I _did _keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of _you_–" She made a sweeping gesture. "–could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to."

"Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her." Ouch. "Unless there's something you aren't telling us."

Rose remained silent and Vasilisa relaxed into her seat, probably glad the drama had been cut short.

Kirova had smugness seeping out of her pores. "I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left – aside from the novelty of it, no doubt – was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."

For reasons I could not even begin to fathom, Vasilisa looked guilty. I had heard about Rose's last prank, how she destroyed some guy's room during a party because he wouldn't leave a human alone. The kid had guts. "No, that's not why I–"

"And that only makes my decision much easier. As a Moroi, the Princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible" Kirova said without a pause. My eyes widened. I could see how dealing with Rose since she was four might have been a pain in the ass – but, this? This was too much.

"I… what?" Vasilisa looked like she was three seconds away from fainting, but she still managed to stand up next to her friend.

"You can't do that! She's my guardian!" She protested. Rose looked like she would throw up soon. I eyed the trash can behind the Headmistress's desk warily, pretty sure I could get to it in time.

"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't a guardian at all. She's still a novice." Kirova argued cruelly.

_Now, that's just rubbing salt on the wound._

"But my parents–" _Are dead and, unfortunately, can't stop Miss Evil Bitch here from doing what she wants_.

"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is _expendable_. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."

Like being a guardian was a huge prize.

Rose still seemed shocked. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to my _father_?" If Hathaway's bark was as good as her bite, I really wouldn't wanna mess with her. "Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."

Keyword being _try_. I really, really liked this girl. I had been with her for little over five hours and already my life was more entertaining.

"Miss Hathaway, you are out of line." Kirova hissed. No shit. But then, _she_ was out of line, too. I finally chose to step in.

"They have a bond" Everyone turned to face me. _What? I had an epiphany!_ "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"

"No… that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."Kirova stared like someone had told her the grass was a shocking fuchsia.

"It's obvious." I lied, the girls' faces confirming my theory. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them."

"That is a gift." Prince Victor added from his corner. "A rare and wonderful gift."

"The best guardians always have that bond in the stories." I confirmed.

"Stories that are centuries old!" Kirova exclaimed desperately. She must _really _have hated Rose. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after all she's done?"

I shrugged. "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential–"

"Wild and disrespectful?" Rose interrupted, making my point. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"

_Uh. I think not._

"Guardian Belikov is the Princess's guardian now. Her _sanctioned_ guardian." Kirova spat.

"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" _I object to being referred to as cheap, kid. I'm not, actually._

Kirova threw her hands up in the air, managing to look like an overly dramatic bat while she did. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and _very _raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian with no discipline is worse than no guardian." 

"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again." I suggested.

"Impossible. She'll be hopelessly behind her peers." _Good God, Hathaway, what did you _do _to this woman?_

"No I won't." Rose broke in. We all ignored her.

"Then give her extra training sessions."

"Who's going to put in the extra time? You?" Oh, Kirova was desperate, alright. This must've been her strongest argument. I hesitated for a moment.

"Well, that's not what I–"

"Yes, that's what I thought." Kirova's arms crossed and she smiled. I frowned and looked at the girls. They looked pitiful, but Rose looked kinda dangerous, too.

"Yes. I can mentor Rose." Anything _to wipe that smile off your face._ "I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."

Kirova was astounded. Served her well. She'd never been too kind to me, either.

"And then what? She goes unpunished?"

"Find some other way to punish her." Then, I struck. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."

"I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent." Victor piped up, voice feeble.

"Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay." Vasilisa begged. Was she using compulsion? No matter. The woman deserved it. Kirova sighed.

"If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned to face Rose. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line _once_, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have – before _and _after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent… away."

Oh, that was harsh. Maybe our beloved Headmistress had PMS?

"Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart? Afraid we'll run away again?" Rose taunted with a laugh.

"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you'll recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Kirova hissed. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."

Rose opened her mouth and I glared at her not to ruin everything until she shut up. Well, thank the Good Lord up in Heaven. _Finally_.

"Fine. I accept."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

I was assigned to escort Rose to the guardian's gym for her first class with Alberta walking next to us. We opened the door of the gym just as the novices were setting up. The whole class went silent. I saw Rose scan the room for a familiar face and grin when she found one. A red-haired kid stared at her open-mouthed. Were they old pals or something?

"Hey, Mason, wipe the drool of your face. If you're gonna think about me naked, do it on your own time" Snorts and snickers rang out, breaking the tension. I assumed that was what Rose had aimed for. The redhead – Mason – smiled.

"This is my time, Hathaway" So I wasn't the only one who thought it suited her "I'm leading today's session"

Rose didn't hesitate for even a second "Oh yeah? Huh. Well, I guess this _is_ a good time to think about me naked, then"

"It's _always _a good time to think about you naked" Added a dark-haired guy nearby.

"Fuck that bastard. I'll kill him. The very… ugh. Stupidity must be thinned out of the gene pool, anyway. That's a reasonable excuse for murder, I guess…" I muttered in Russian, shaking my head and walking away. The nerve of the guy! Not that Rose would look bad naked – hardly – but, well, I don't know. I was mad. And that was not good.

You guys should probably know that I have serious anger management issues. I get along pretty well, though, just not in times like those. Right then, I needed to punch something – or someone – really hard for about half an hour. Fifteen minutes, maybe. I entered the bathroom and punched the wall. Not even a dent. Pathetic.

I re-entered the class to see Rose get pummeled in every way known to man, woman and any alien that is out there. Mason _totally_ kicked her ass. And she deserved it, after all the bitchy comments in Kirova's office. I will _never _vouch for Hathaway again. She is _not_ a good client.

We all headed off to Rose's second period afterwards. Stan's eyes widened in mock surprise as he saw Rose sitting on her desk. Great. _Another_ Hathaway-hater. Seriously, _what_ did that girl do before she left? Kill someone's puppy? Set off a bomb?

"What's this?" Alto asked, standing next to Rose's table "No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very generous of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us"

Rose's face clearly read _fuck off_. I am pleased to report that she did not actually say that, though. She was making progress. Stan's sneer increased as he gestured for her to sit up.

"Well, come on, come on. Don't sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class" He ordered cheerfully. _He has got to be kidding. Please, let him be kidding. Rose will kill him if he isn't. Are you there, God? It's me, Dimitri. I need help with my crazy-ass student…_

"You don't really mean–"

"I mean exactly what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class" Oh, Kirova was _really _going to get me after this.

Rose strode up to the front of the group and faced the silent room. She flipped her hair over her shoulders. And then she noticed me and her face fell a bit.

"So, Hathaway. Enlighten us about your protective techniques" Stan said. The man must've had a death wish. I could feel adrenaline going to me as I tensed, ready to restrain Rose when she attacked. Which would no doubt be soon.

"My… techniques?" Poor girl. She would suffer. _I should've brought popcorn._

"Of course. Because presumably you must've had some sort of plan the rest of us wouldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats"

"We never ran into any Strigoi" Rose answered curtly.

"Obviously. I already figured that out, since you're still alive" He snickered. I clenched my fists. Stan and I would have a nice, long chat on treating my student with respect later.

"So what'd you do? How'd you make sure she stayed safe? Did you avoid going out at night?" _Say yes, Rosemarie. He'll butcher you if you don't…_

"Sometimes" _Oh, that's it. She just killed us all._

"Sometimes" Stan mocked while I began running through all the arguments I would give Kirova once we reached her office and had to convince her not to fire us. "Well then, I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night"

_Lie, Rose. Bullshit the biggest bullshitter in the school. You can do it! Come on, girl,_ cooperate "Er… no"

_Damn her. Why does she never listen? Based on what I've read about her, though, I shouldn't be too surprised._

"No? But that's one of the first things mentioned in the chapter on solo guarding. Oh, wait, you wouldn't know that because _you weren't here_" It was truly a wonder that, with Rose's academic record, she had actually lasted this long. I could practically _see_ her swallowing back her sharp remarks.

"I watched the area whenever we went out" _Bad move hon._

"Oh? Well, that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant surveillance method or the Rotational survey?" _Let her pick one of those, please, God, have mercy…_

Rose stayed silent. I would've applauded this in any other circumstances, but, during a fight? Not so much.

"Ah. I'm guessing you used the Hathaway Glance-Around-When-You-Remember-To Method" Stan, I had to admit, was a master. He was also sealing his death sentence. If Rose didn't get him, I would. I _am_ a gentleman, after all.

"No!" Rose snapped. _Oh, Sweet Mother of God, don't let her break anything_ "That's not true! I watched her! She's still alive, isn't she?"

"Because you got lucky" Stan said right in Rose's face. She could probably smell last week's food on him.

"Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there. It's not like we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound" Uh-oh. Now Stan was _really_ mad.

_Jesus, if you love us_ at all_, let him try to kill her. Emphasis on the _try_ part. That way _he'll _get fired and _I _won't._

"Safer? _Safer?_ We are at war with the Strigoi!" He yelled, ready to burst an artery. Maybe he'd bleed to death, if we were lucky, and I could beat up his corpse when it was in the morgue. Actually, that would've been really fun… "One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you even noticed him – and he'd barely break a sweat while doing it! You might have more speed and strength than a Moroi or human, but you are nothing, nothing compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?"

I officially hated Stan Alto. "Moroi Blood" Rose said softly.

"What was that?" Stan shouted maniacally. I had a feeling he might cackle any second "I didn't catch it"

Rose nearly slapped him "Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger"

"Yes, it does" Stan nodded and stepped back "It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek it. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality, and they want to do whatever they can to keep that immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided academies exactly like this one. There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed on generations of Moroi. They're almost impossible to kill. And that is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough – even with guardians – to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point of running anymore and are simply turning Strigoi by choice. And as the Moroi disappear…"

"…so do the dhampirs" Rose finished.

"Well. It looks like you learned something after all. Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience the next semester" Stan said. Rose sat down quietly, and, in the midst of my anger, I wanted to clap. No one died. We were all safe from Kirova's anger. I could've jumped for joy.

Two eternally long classes later, I followed Rose in the direction of the commons for lunch.

"I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class" _Who didn't?_

"Yes" Well, I had to be all mentor-y and stuff. I couldn't very well say anything else.

"And don't you think that was unfair?" I seriously thought about it for a moment. The way he had acted – that was wrong. But the things he was saying were all right, even if he was a total idiot and should burn in hell.

"Was he right? Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?" I asked her. Rose looked down.

"I kept her alive" She muttered, knowing I was right.

"How did you do fighting against your classmates today?" I asked. I had seen her get beat up several times. Rose didn't answer "If you can't fight _them_–"

"Yeah, yeah, I know" I slowed down to match strides with her.

"You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained" I told her "Didn't you play any sports while you were gone?"

She shrugged. "Sure. Now and then" _Not good enough._

"You didn't join any teams?" I asked, shocked.

"Too much work. If I'd wanted to practice that much, I'd have stayed here" That was crap and we both knew it. God, Rose was so _annoying_ sometimes.

"You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking"

"I'll be able to protect her" She said.

"You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know – for your field experience or after you graduate" I told her bluntly "No one wants to waste the bond – but no one's gonna give her an inadequate guardian either. If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it. You have your lessons. You have me. Use us or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate – if you can prove you're worthy. I hope you will"

I was, I admit, quite proud of my serious speech, because, heck, I'll be damned if I'm _that _serious. But you know what Rose did next? She grabbed an axe and clobbered my ego.

"Lissa, call her Lissa" She corrected me absentmindedly. That was all she got out of the freaking speech. Lissa. _Oh, Heaven help me with this girl._

I turned around and walked away.

* * *

**Yay! Isn't darling Dimka hilarious? No matter. Review if you love him (or Adrian) and if this made you laugh (or smile) even a bit!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

By the time I finished eating – and bothering Stan with long speeches about how to properly chastise a student – my anger at Rose was gone. Apparently, spending time with her – even if it had been only a few hours – had done wonders for my patience.

So I wasn't mad anymore.

Until Hank sat down at my table and started blabbering, that is.

"Man, am I sorry for you." He said. "I cannot _believe_ you've gotta put up with Rose Hathaway."

"She's not so bad." I mumbled.

"Not so _bad_?" He scoffed. "She's, like, the biggest slut on campus."

I resisted the urge to point out to the poor man that he sounded like a teenage girl.

"She doesn't look like a slut."

"Dude, seriously, are you _deaf_? Every Moroi in the school has a different story about when they slept with her or what they did." Hank shrugged "Some of them claim she was fifteen when they… you know. That's hardcore shit."

"That's not like her."

"You don't know anything about her." He said.

Hank was right. I didn't. "I know enough."

And I did. Because, though I hardly knew her, Rose didn't seem so bad. Who was Hank to judge, anyway? He had no idea. It could all be a bunch of lies – and considering the fact that Rose was a very attractive and outgoing girl, it was probably just some kids' attempts at boosting their reputations.

Right?

"Rose. You're late for practice." I nodded towards Lissa. "Princess."

We walked towards the gym in silence. Well, at least until Rose spontaneously decided to stop moving and stare blankly forward. I rolled my eyes.

"Rose, no matter how hard you try, this is not gonna get you out of practice, OK? Now start moving again." I ordered. But she didn't blink, or move – she was as still as a statue. Too still. "Rose?"

And then I looked at her – really looked at her – and I saw the light was gone from her eyes.

I have never felt as terrified as I did in that moment. How could she be dead? She couldn't, could she? No, we'd been walking just a minute ago… But she hadn't fainted, either. So what was wrong with her? Was she acting?

No, no, no, she hadn't blinked. She hadn't fucking blinked yet! She wasn't fucking blinking!

I was so gonna get fired if my student died right in front of me.

"Rose? Oh, God, Rose, please. I swear, if this is a joke…" I trailed off and looked around. We were – quite sadly – alone. "Rose, please! Hey, Rose Hathaway. Come back, girl. Don't do this to me!"

_Oh, God, please…_

The following fifteen minutes were the longest in my life. I hadn't even thought to carry her, I was that scared. By the time I began to sweat, I was shaking her.

And then she moved.

"Rose? Rose?" Hathaway shook her head and her eyes closed and re-opened. She looked out of it for a second.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

OK. So. She clearly wasn't autistic. Bipolar? Maybe, but that wasn't it. She might be an epileptic who had forgotten to take her meds and what I'd just seen was one of her seizures. I had to ask her.

What had happened? Because I clearly would not let it happen again. Ever. That little whatever-it-was took ten years off my life and nearly gave me a freaking heart attack. But first things first.

"Are you alright?"

"I… yeah. I was… I was with Lissa…" Rose answered cryptically, putting a hand to her forehead. "I was in her head."

"Her… head?" _Should I take her to the mental asylum or to Dr. Olendski? Oh, wait – the bond. The mother-fucking bond. Of course. Typical._

"Yeah, it's a part of the bond." She confirmed.

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's… she's not in danger."

"Can you keep going?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Rose said as we resumed our walk while I internally cursed Lissa to the deepest pits of hell for the scare she'd just given me.

We got to the gym without more freaky incidents and Rose went into the dressing room to change. She came out completely transformed – her hair in a tight ponytail and wearing pants and a T-shirt someone had given her.

"Hey, Comrade." She began. "Listen. I was thinking that, you know, since I just got here, and all, that you could give me a break so I can go to sleep."

_Ha. Nice try._

"Why is that _funny_?"

"Oh. You were serious." My smile faded immediately.

"_Of course_ I was! Look, I've technically been awake for _two days_. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed. It's just one hour."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?"

"I hurt like hell." She moaned.

"You'll feel worse tomorrow." I pointed.

"So?"

"So, better to jump in while you still feel… not as bad." I finished lamely.

She could've said thousands of witty quips to make me lose the argument. Oddly enough, she didn't. Rose just shook her head.

"What kind of logic is that?" She asked.

But she stopped arguing. And that, my dear friends, was really a miracle. Let us praise the Lord for his Goodness.

I sped through the necessary instructions and then slouched in a corner, _Silver Canyon _in my hands. I was just getting to the good part when I'd had to leave for our training session, because _I_ – unlike _some_ people – actually arrived to meetings on time. Odd, huh?

By the time I was nearly finished, Rose was done with her weights. So I showed her a few cool-down stretches and hoped for the best: peace and quiet.

My hopes were predictably shattered. "How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian? You weren't here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?"

I hesitated, "No. I attended the one in Siberia."

"Whoa. That's _got _to be the only place worse than Montana." She giggled. I smiled a bit.

"After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zeklos lord. He was killed recently." What made me say that? Your guess is about as good as mine, because I definitely have no idea what the hell I was thinking. "They sent me here because they needed extras on campus. When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I'd already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus."

"Did this lord die during your watch?"

"No. He was with his other guardian. I was away."

"Hey," She said cheerfully after a few seconds. "Did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all that."

My eyebrow rose of its own accord. I swear. "You're complimenting me on that?"

"Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried."

I frowned. "Last one?"

"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds." While my mind kept telling me to tell Rose that no, I was not retarded, I worried about something else. _Psi-hounds? No, no way._

"This was the first time we found you. In Portland."

"Um, I don't think I imagined psi-hounds." She said carefully. "Who else could've sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it."

I sincerely doubted that. "Maybe."

Rose shrugged it off and left for her dorm. I briefly considered staying in my room for some rare moments of peace – and Louis L'Amour – before my growling stomach blackmailed me into hurrying to the crowded guardian rooms. I stepped through them silently (after raiding the fridge, of course) and into my favorite place on campus, a tiny glass-enclosed porch with some empty patio tables looking out into the courtyard.

I will admit that this place was really cold and, while I didn't enjoy freezing my mentor-y ass off, I did rather enjoy the solitude. Besides, after killing six Strigoi, what was a little cold?

And so, I was back to the Strigoi topic. The part that really got to me was that half of them were grown women. I, as a rule, did not practice violence against the gentler sex (gentler? Ha! As if they weren't incredible manipulators), my Mother and sisters had taught me better than that – with lots of slaps and pain, obviously, but, still.

In the end, though, what bothered me wasn't the sex of my victims, it was that, in the end, they were victims – and I? A killer. I had ended lives, destroyed thousands of valuable memories, ideas, a wealth of plain information that was wasted. All because of me. And it was not fair.

With a sigh – see? I am serious sometimes – I walked back to the school and into the Animal Behavior and Physiology classroom, a course both Lissa and Rose had.

I watched from a corner as the girls entered, Rose sending dirty looks to some guys bothering a pitiful-looking kid and Lissa looking at him with compassion. Suddenly, a really cocky bronze-haired kid grabbed Rose's arm. I tensed, waiting for her to tell him off. Hopefully he would not get a black eye. Hopefully.

"Hey," Rose said jokingly. "Hands off the merchandise."

_She's the biggest slut on campus…_

"Rose, tell Paul about the time you started the fight in Mrs. Karp's class." The guy told her, smiling.

"I started a lot of fights in her class." She teased, her head cocked to one side.

_Every Moroi in the school has a different story about when they slept with her or what they did…_

"The one with the hermit crab. And the gerbil." The guy prodded.

"Oh yeah. It was a hamster, I think. I just dropped it into the crab's tank, and they were both worked up from being so close to me, so they went at i.t" Rose laughed. A nearby Moroi chuckled.

"Who won?" He asked.

Rose looked at the other kid, puzzled. "I don't remember. Do you?"

"No. I just remember Karp freaking out." He shrugged, then turned towards his friend. "Man, you should have seen this messed-up teacher we used to have. Used to think people were after her and would go off on stuff that didn't make any sense. She was nuts. Used to wander campus while everyone was asleep."

Rose's smile became forced and she looked miles away as the bronze-y guy prattled on and on about some party he was planning.

"You've got to slip your leash tonight. We're going up to that spot in the woods around eight thirty. Mark got some weed." He said as she shuddered and came back.

Rose sighed. "Can't slip that leash. I'm with my Russian jailer"

_And who knows what she would be doing if she wasn't, eh?_ A little voice whispered in my ear. I shook off the thought. _You don't know anything about her yet._

"Can't you ever get off for good behavior?" He joked. As if that was even possible.

She gave him a sexy smile. "Sure," She called over her shoulder. "If I was ever good."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The next few days went by uneventfully in a blur of classes and practice. Finally –_ finally!_ – Sunday arrived. The last Sunday of the month. Time to call my girls.

"Hello?" My mother's voice asked in Russian.

"Hi, Mom." I told her, smiling. She shrieked.

"Girls! Dimka's on the line!" I heard her shout. Faint squeals rang out and I heard one, two, three clicks and a chorus of, "Dimkas!"

"How are you?" Karolina asked kindly.

"Finally!" Sonya's eye roll was impossible to see, but I could almost hear it.

"Ohmigod, I have _so much _to tell you." Viktoria gushed.

"We've missed you, dearest." My mother said.

"Hey!" Sonya protested.

"Oh, he better not be your favorite, Mom." Viktoria threatened.

"Oh, would you let him _talk_?" Karolina broke in, earning silence from the girls.

"How is everything, baby? Did you get the girls back?" My mom asked.

"Yeah." I answered.

"Details!" Vik demanded.

So I launched into a long, long story about how we'd gotten Rose and Lissa back and the girls nearly died when I described Kirova's lecture. I could tell they liked Rose, and they cheered when they heard me verbally beat up Stan, and cursed when I mentioned what Hank had said.

"She doesn't _sound _like a slut." Karolina defended her. "And he should stop judging her."

"That's exactly what I thought."

"I would love to meet her. She must be nice." My mom said absentmindedly.

"Do you like her? As in, friend-like her?" Sonya asked.

"I think Hank was bull shitting you!"

"Viktoria!" Mother chided.

"But you do, too! We all do!" She protested. "And Dimka _does _like her. Don't you, Dimka? I mean, not _romantically_ or anything. _Sonya _thinks so, anyway – I can tell – and she's _always_ right about those things."

"It's true, you know." Sonya added.

"Oh, Yeva wants to talk!" Karolina added. I heard the phone switch hands and my Grandma's voice came through.

"Be careful, Dimitri." She warned ominously. "This one is different, special. She will change you in many ways."

"Well, _that's_ final, then. Beware." Viktoria sounded smug. I sighed.

"She's just another student, right now. Maybe we'll end up being friends someday, but I hardly know her well enough to know for sure." I told them.

"Yeva says to be nice." Karo mused.

"Aw, come on! I barely know the kid and you guys are already naming our children!"

"Love works in strange ways." Mom began. "You may not be close at the time, and I admit that being involved with her would bring only trouble, but if she's The One, baby, I don't see what you can do."

"I have to go to church." I said.

"Love you, D!" Karo trilled.

"Bye, baby." Mom said sadly "Take care."

"And remember to beware, young one." Sonya boomed.

"See ya!" Vicky's voice faded as I hung up.

I left for church in a hurry – I was late – and found an unoccupied corner at the back.

For some reason, Rose was there, though her file had said that she was not religious. And while Lissa listened attentively, Rose just looked bored.

_Maybe she's looking at the "merchandise."_ The little voice in my head suggested. I'd have to name the bastard, he was clearly a talkative spawn of the devil. Daemon was the first name that came to mind. _Meh. It'll do. He's just a freaking voice._

_You know what I say is true, you just don't wanna admit it, even to yourself,_ Daemon hissed.

_Are you there, God? It's Dimitri again. I'm hearing a voice in my head, which really worries me – especially since its name is pathetic…_

The service ended before I could muse about my impending fall towards insanity much longer and I waited for most of the crowd to leave before following.

I walked outside just in time to see a huge pile of snow fall on Lissa.

"You OK?" Rose asked.

"Yeah." The Princess was drenched (as in,_ I just took a bath_ drenched) and shivering. Rose took off her coat and handed it to her friend, everyone around them laughing.

"Wish you hadn't been wearing a coat, Rose. That shirt would've looked good wet." Some Moroi teased. I shook my head, disgusted.

Daemon huffed. _What is the world coming to? There are no manners anymore, no gentlemen left. Young people are so rude. Someone should castrate him with rusty scissors – you know, as a punishment. The Arabs cut off people's hands for stealing. It must work for them._

While I, for once, agreed, I couldn't very well do _that_. So I cheered myself up by visualizing it.

"That shirt's so ugly it should be burned. Did you get that from a homeless person?" A blonde asked. She looked like Karo's old Mary-Ann (and Karo loved tearing her dolls' heads off).

"I suppose you want to offer to burn it, huh? Oh, wait—fire isn't your element, is it? You work with water. What a coincidence that a bunch just fell on us." Rose said, sarcasm dripping off every word.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing to me. But Ms. Kirova will probably have something to say when she finds out you used magic against another student." _Oh that was a good answer. Better a snitch than an expelled reject. _

And she had called Helen 'Miss Kirova.' _Progress! We are making progress!_

"That wasn't an attack. And it wasn't me. It was an act of God."

Rose's face read that the bitch doll's painful death would be an act from God, but, fortunately, Lissa intervened and the girls left quietly amidst jokes about Lissa not specializing and other shit. Yeah. That was definitely progress.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Three more weeks went by, and during that time, Rose and I did become something similar to friends.

And then she found me in the gym reading _Shalako Catlow_. This was terribly awkward and embarrassing for a lot of reasons, the main ones being that normal guys don't actually _know_ who Louis L'amour is, let alone read his novels (I know, I'm not normal. I should deal with it) and that I was sprawled on the fucking floor listening to _When Doves cry_ like some kind of idiot.

Rose dumped her bag on the floor. "Whoa, Dimitri. I realize this is actually a current hit in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we could maybe listen to something that wasn't recorded before I was born?"

"What does it matter to you?" I asked her. "_I'm_ the one who's gonna be listening to it. You'll be outside running."

Rose made a face and began stretching. "Hey, what's with all the running, anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of stamina and all that, but shouldn't I be moving on to something with a little hitting? They're killing me in group practice."

"Maybe you should hit harder." I suggested.

"I'm serious!"

_Huh. That's a first._

"Hard to tell the difference." I set the book down. "My job is to get you ready to defend the Princess and fight dark creatures, right?"

_Dark creatures? _Daemon laughed_. Seriously?_

"Yup."

"So tell me this: suppose you manage to kidnap her again and take her off to the mall. While you're there, a Strigoi comes at you. What will you do?" I asked.

"Depends on what store we're in," Rose joked.

…

"Fine. I'll stab him with a silver stake." She rolled her eyes at my boring, mentor-y attitude. I would've, too.

"Oh?" I crossed my legs. "Do you have a silver stake? Do you even know how to use one?"

"Ok, I'll cut his head off."

"Ignoring the fact that you don't have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate for the fact that he may be a foot taller than you?"

"Fine, then I'll set him on fire!" She looked terribly annoyed.

"Again, with what?"

"All right, I give up. You've already got the answer. You're just messing with me. I'm at the mall and I see a Strigoi. What do I do?" Rose's hands were on her hips.

"You run." I dead-panned. And immediately regretted it when I saw Rose's face.

_She's probably visualizing our violent death right now, _Daemon said worriedly.

_I agree._ I answered. S_hould I apologize?_

_Nah. She'll get over it._

Rose finished her stretches in silence.

"I'll run with you today." I told her. Oh, yeah. Spontaneity is my biggest talent.

She shrugged and we began the first of twelve laps – _her_ twelve laps – as the sun set behind the mountains.

We were almost done when Mason and a group of novices appeared. "Good form, Rose!"

_He is checking her out,_ Daemon growled, H_e is mentally undressing her!_

_These teenagers. There's just no respect for women, anymore._ I agreed.

Rose waved, a smile on her face.

_Good God, did she sleep with him too?_ He scoffed.

_Shut up! _

"You're slowing down." I snapped. "Is this why your times aren't getting any faster? You're easily distracted?"

Rose nearly jumped a mile at the sound of my voice. Then, she sped up. _Good_.

"Not bad, huh?" She croaked when I told her we'd taken two minutes off her best time. "Looks like I could get as far as The Limited if Strigoi got me at the mall. Not sure how Lissa would do."

"If she was with you, she'd be fine." I answered without thinking.

Daemon rolled his eyes. _You have awful taste in women, have I ever told you that?_

_We're just friends._

_Oh, goody! The psychopath meets the pedophile! This oughta be fun_.

Rose smiled – and then she was suddenly in Lissa's head again. At least that's what it looked like, cause she definitely wasn't moving. Or blinking. Again

_She's in shock because of our beauty,_ Daemon laughed.

_Our beauty? More like mine,_ I shot back. _Demons are supposed to be horrible._

_Stereotypes, mere stereotypes. _He growled._ I am a free spirit! I will not let myself be limited!_

Before I could tell him that he was seriously fucked up, Rose blinked. And took off running.

_What the…_

"Rose?" I was immediately chasing after her. "Rose! What's wrong?"

_Maybe the hooker forgot she had an appointment…_

_Not helping, jackass!_ I broke in. He rolled his eyes.

_Now, that was just plain rude._

A sobbing Lissa flew out of the dorm and into Rose's arms.

"What's wrong? What happened? It's Ok, Liss. It's fine. Don't worry. I'll take care of it…"

I stood next to them uncomfortable. Despite being the only men in a female household, weeping women still make me feel useless. And generally awful.

Half an hour later, Kirova, Hank, Ben, Dennis and the dorm matron were taking up valuable space and air beside us in Lissa's room. I quickly inspected everything. Her half had only a picture of her and Rose dressed as fairies – with glitter and everything.

_Good. We have blackmail material, now._ Daemon said happily, rubbing his hands together like some villain in a melodrama.

_She looks great. Shut up._ I ordered.

Rose stifled a scream. I promptly turned and saw her staring at the bed.

_Now, that's interesting._

A fox lay on the pillow, its throat slit open. Blood stained the yellow bed covers. Lissa's hand reached out for it – and Rose steered her away wordlessly. They whispered, huddled together in a corner.

"No. It's not the same. It has nothing to do with that." Rose said fiercely. "Do you hear me?"

_I hear, I just don't understand._

"Get this cleaned up." Kirova told the matron. "And find out if anyone saw anything."

"Take the girl away, Belikov." Hank said.

_Yessir. At your service. Anything else? Coffee, maybe? Or fries?_

I nodded and led Rose out of the Moroi dorm while she begged them to let her stay with Lissa. I didn't speak until we'd almost gotten to her own dorm.

"You know something. Something about what happened. Is this what you meant when you told Headmistress Kirova that Lissa was in danger?" I asked.

"I don't know anything. It's just some sick joke." Rose lied.

_How do you know she's lying?_ Daemon wondered.

_Can't you tell?_ I was shocked. _She looks different when she lies._

_Different how?_

_I don't know, ok? Different._

"Do you have any idea who'd do it? Or why?" I pressed. Rose actually thought about it.

"No. No clue."

"Rose, if you know something, tell me. We're on the same side. We both want to protect her. This is serious." I told her.

_Why won't she trust me?_

_I wouldn't trust you._ Daemon pointed out.

_Shut up._

"Yeah, it is serious. It's all serious. And you have me doing laps every day when I should be learning to fight and defend her! If you want to help her, then teach me something! _Teach me how to fight._ I already know how to run away."

I felt my eyebrow needing to rise. However, I managed to keep my poker face in place and just beckoned to Rose, ignoring her comment.

"Come on. You're late for practice."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

That day, Rose was so mad (and pissed and furious), she really kicked ass. _Really_. She took down three out of four kids, which wasn't too bad, all things considered.

I didn't know who I should be prouder of: her or me.

"The comeback's starting," Mason said, just loud enough for me to overhear.

Rose grinned. "So it would seem."

He touched her arm.

_I wonder what else he's touched,_ Daemon said snidely.

I sighed. _You're sad, you know that? You're a sad person. You have nothing better to do than talk shit about a little girl. How pathetic._

_Is it? He raised an eyebrow. Oh, well. At least I'm not pathetic enough to stalk said girl – guess you beat me in that department._

_Fuck off._

"How's Lissa?" Mason asked.

"Ok. Coping." Rose shrugged. "Mase, you claim to know about Mia. You think she might have done that?"

"Whoa, hey, I'm not an expert on her or anything." He answered defensively, like someone had implied that he knew a lot about something taboo. Like porn. Or making aprons. "But honestly? No. Mia won't even do dissections in biology. I can't picture her actually catching a fox, let alone, um, killing it."

"Any friends who might do it for her?" Rose pressed.

He shook his head. "Not really. They're not the types to get their hands dirty either. But who knows?"

_God does_, Daemon added. _Maybe if you prayed a little more, He'd be willing to share some information…_

_Oh, yeah. Because He's so incredibly talkative, right?_ I looked up. _No offense, big guy._

_He talks to _me. Daemon retorted.

_You crazy-ass religious freak…_

_At least I'm not edging on pedophilia._

On and on and on we went for hours, and I like to think we wouldn't have stopped if Mia hadn't blasted her hand up in a class and loudly asked the teacher, who was talking about wolves' mates or something of the sort, "What about foxes? Do they have alphas too?"

The whole room went quiet. Everyone stared at either her or Lissa.

_Oh, she did not just go there. _I thought.

_I'll add her to our must-kill list. _Daemon offered happily, taking out a clipboard.

_Great. Who do we have so far?_

_Mason, Jesse, Mia… _He scribbled.

_Maybe we should scratch Mason. He seems ok. _I suggested.

_He was undressing her… _He reminded me.

_Fine. Keep him in._

"We're discussing wolves today, Miss Rinaldi," The teacher said coldly. Barbie shrugged.

Class went on as tediously as it usually did. I stared at the clock and tried not to yawn. Being assigned to a student, even one as important as the last Dragomir, was much less fun than watching someone closer to my age.

Suddenly, more drama began in my corner of the room.

"Screw you." Rose was telling a creepy-looking kid.

"Are you offering?" He asked.

"From what I've heard, there isn't much to screw." Rose shot back.

For a moment, I wondered how teachers could be so oblivious. Then, ugly bastard spoke up again.

"Wow, you have changed. Last I remembered, you weren't too picky who you got naked with."

"And the last I remember, the only people you ever saw naked were on the Internet."

_She's good._

_I know._

"Hey, I just got it." He cocked his head. "It was you, wasn't it? She got you to kill the fox, didn't she? Some weird kind of lesbian voo – aahhhh!"

_Huh. Apparently, we won't get to kill _him_. _I thought.

_We'll just pee on his ashes,_ Daemon shrugged.

The kid was burning. Quite literally. Spontaneous combustion? Maybe God had finally decided to get involved by eliminating the world's idiots.

After seeing Mia was still quite alive – and screaming – I discarded my theory.

_It _was_ rather too good to be true_.

Rose instantly pushed Lissa out of the way, the two of them crashing to the floor. The teacher left, presumably to get a fire extinguisher, and screams filled the room.

_My hearing will never recover._

And, quite suddenly, the flames went out. Just like that. Only instead of seeing a pile of black dust, I could see the guy perfectly well.

_Oh, well. At least we'll get to beat up, kill him _and_ pee on his ashes_. Daemon said, ever the optimist.

Everyone froze for a second. Then, Christian Ozera – Tasha's nephew – began laughing hysterically. The teacher – who had come back but been kind of useless for a while – turned an interesting shade of purple.

"Mr. Ozera!" she screamed. Apparently being coherent was out of the question. "How dare you—do you have any idea—report to Headmistress Kirova's office _now_!"

"Sure thing, Ms. Meissner." Christian smirked and left the room, deliberately passing next to the other kid, who shrank away. I had a feeling he would've started crying for his mommy if Chris had stayed closer for much longer.

Everyone was… shocked, to say the least. Everyone but me. I was used to Tasha. I had always known that she and her nephew practiced offensive magic, and it had never actually bothered me.

Plus, the kid looked fun.

0o0o

If I thought the class – which, by the by, had ended soon after the Incident – was dramatic, the fight in the hallway was three times that. Suffice it to say that, though I couldn't hear much, I did catch Mia's unpleasant little comment.

"Trouble in paradise?" She asked as she walked by.

"Go find your pacifier and shut the hell up."Was Rose's response.

I decided I might have to use that line more often – with my sisters, probably.

_God, I love this girl._

Daemon scoffed. _Pedophile._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

That night was… well, it was really relaxing. I didn't have any shifts, didn't have any trainings with Rose or duties.

So I called Tasha.

"Dimka!" She picked up the phone on the third ring "You haven't called in_ ages_! I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me"

"Pff. As if that could _ever_ happen" I rolled my eyes and Tasha laughed her tinkly laugh.

"Well, at least the e-mails were enlightening. How's Rose?"

"Ok. Giving smart-ass comments to everyone looking her way" I laughed.

"She sounds like a lot of fun" Tasha said wistfully "I'd like to meet her"

"You two would become best friends in a second" I told her "And then you would cook up some sinister plan to gain world domination and embarrass me at the same time"

"That we would" Tasha giggled.

"Hey, T! Who ya talking to, babe?" I heard a man shout from far away.

"I gotta go" Tasha said nervously "I'll call you back later, OK?"

_How come you always fall for the sluts?_ Daemon asked wearily.

_Dude, she's like my sister! And Rose is not a slut, dammit!_

"Ok. Bye" I said curtly, already in a bad mood. I got off my bed and looked in the mirror. A bath was necessary, and the sooner it happened, the better. The library was calling me.

Unfortunately (I say that word a lot, don't I?) the phone rang and I nearly killed myself trying to get a towel and answer at the same time.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Belikov? A janitor just informed us that your student is inside the fourth floor lounge engaging in restricted activities" A smooth voice informed me. I nodded.

"I'll be right there"

_Restricted activities? Oh, God. Not good. _Really_ not good, actually. Rose and restricted activities don't go too well together…_

I was dressed and standing at the lounge's door in a flash. Daeemon was actually impressed. I heard Rose giggle.

"Stop it!" She teased "I told you, I'm not like that. But if you want something to do with your mouth, I can give you some ideas"

_Pssh. Not on _my_ watch, you won't._

"Yeah?" A guy asked "Like what?"

_Oh, he _better not_ touch her. In fact, he better avoid even _thinking_ about her, because if he so much as goes _near _her mouth, I will castrate someone. And guess what? It won't be Rose._

_You should castrate her. _Daemon suggested._ It'd save us a lot of trouble._

Furious, I burst into the room to see Rose and some kid spring away. A Moroi student. Disgusting.

"What's your name?" I barked, holding him up by his shirt.

"Jesse, sir" He stuttered "Jesse Zeklos, sir"

_I'll add him to the list, too._ Daemon rolled his eyes. _Though if I add everyone she tries to sleep with, we'll have the whole male student body in there soon._

"Mr. Zeklos, do you have permission to be in this part of the dorm?" I demanded.

"No, sir"

"Do you know the rules about male and female interactions around here?"

"Yes, sir"

"Then I suggest you get out of here as fast as you can before I turn you over to someone who will punish you accordingly. If I ever see you like this again" I pointed at Rose "I will be the one to punish you. And it will hurt. A lot. Do you understand?"

_I want to punch someone. Hard. Fast. Lots of times, preferably someplace that bleeds._

_You can't. Library, remember? But I think Sunday's not very busy for us… _Daemon's clipboard came out again.

"Yes, sir"

"Then _go_" I dropped him on the floor and he scuttled out of the room. I turned to face Rose, an Oscar-worthy lecture on my lips.

And then, I stopped.

Let me interrupt this for a second to assure you guys that I am a man. A young and respectful one, sure, but a man. So you shouldn't be surprised that seeing Rose in a bra was… nice. Ok, it was more than nice. Happy? _Jeez._

I looked at her – really looked at her, the way her shoulders rounded and her arms fell and her chest… Yeah, I was kinda staring at her, but, well, she was the best-looking girl in the school. Wearing _only a bra._

_Pedophilia has never looked this attractive,_ Daemon muttered. I nodded.

Heat began to creep down her body as her skin slowly went red. I watched the transition, fascinated, certain that my mouth would open and I would choke on a fly.

"You see something you like?" _Oh, I see lots of things I… hey! I must channel my inner mentor to respond._

"Get dressed" I said sternly. Rose slipped on her shirt, quiet.

"How'd you find me? You following me to make sure I don't run away?" She asked.

"Be quiet," I snapped, leaning down so that we were at eye level. "A janitor saw you and reported it. Do you have _any idea_ how stupid this was?"

"I know, I know, the whole probation thing, right?"

"Not just that. I'm talking about the stupidity of getting in _that _kind of situation in the first place." I said, thinking of Zeklos's hands all over her.

"I get in _that _kind of situation all the time, Comrade. It's not a big deal."

_No big deal. No big deal?_

_Wow. Even I didn't expect that. _Daemon's eyes widened.

"Stop calling me that. You don't know even know what you're _talking_ about." I told her.

"Sure I do. I had to do a report on Russia and the R.S.S.R. last year." She answered.

"_U_.S.S.R. And it _is _a big deal for a Moroi to be with a dhampir girl. They like to brag."

"So?"

"_So_?" I was shocked. I was _really_ shocked "So don't you have any _respect_? Think about Lisa. You make yourself look cheap. You live up to what a lot of people already think about dhampir girls, and it reflects back on her. And me."

"Oh, I see. Is that what this is about? Am I hurting your big, bad male pride? Are you afraid I'll ruin your reputation?" She asked sarcastically. I sighed.

"My reputation is already made, Rose. I set my standards and lived up to them long ago. What you do with yours remains to be seen." I felt my anger return "Now get back to your room— if you can manage it without throwing yourself at someone else."

"Is that your subtle way of calling me a slut?" _Yes._

_Ah. Finally. _Daemon wiped fake tears away._ He sees reason! I'm so proud._

"I hear the stories you guys tell. I've heard stories about you." I told her bitterly, remembering Hank at my lunch table.

"Why is it wrong to…I don't know, have fun? I'm seventeen, you know. I should be able to enjoy it." Rose protested sadly.

"You're seventeen, and in less than a year, someone's life and death will be in your hands." I told her gently "If you were human or Moroi, you could have fun. You could do things other girls could."

"But you're saying I can't"

_Send thee to a nunnery!_ Daemon quoted madly.

_Oh, shut up and go say some Hail Marys if you're so good._

_Excellent idea._ Daemon clapped. _I'll go pray for our souls._

I glanced away and took a deep breath. Rose needed an example "When I was seventeen, I met Ivan Zeklos. We weren't like you and Lisa, but we became friends, and he requested me as his guardian when I graduated. I was the top student in my school. I paid attention to everything in my classes, but in the end, it wasn't enough. That's how it is in this life. One slip, one distraction…" I sighed, remembering his bloody body. "And it's too late."

"Jesse's a Zeklos" She said quietly.

"I know"

"Does it bother you? Does he remind you of Ivan?" He _did_ look like him. His _personality_, on the other hand…

"It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter how any of us feel" _They come first._

"But it _does _bother you. You hurt. Every day. Don't you? You miss him" Rose looked at me sadly, but also sympathetically.

I was shocked. I was utterly and hopelessly shocked. How could _she_, a girl how knew nothing about me or my family, guess when even my mother thought I was over it?

This life was so lonely without him.

"It doesn't matter how I feel" I told her sternly "They come first. Protecting them"

"Yeah. They do" Rose agreed.

And then, for the first time in my life, I wondered. Why did _they_ come first? What was so special that girls like Rose had to die for them? Why were they any better than us?

Strigoi – those would die out without Moroi. And yet we kept them alive, died for them. But, if we men wouldn't have kids anyway, why die to further our race? We were human, too. We would never truly die out.

I couldn't let Rose die that way. I wouldn't.

"You told me you want to fight, to really fight. Is that still true?" I asked her.

"Yes. Absolutely"

"Rose… I can teach you, but I have to believe you're dedicated. Really dedicated. I can't have you distracted by things like this" I gestured around the lounge. "Can I trust you?"

"Yes. I promise" She answered.

"All right. I'll teach you, but I need you strong. I know you hate the running, but it really is necessary. You have no idea what Strigoi are like. The school tries to prepare you, but until you've seen how strong they are and how fast…well, you can't even imagine. So I can't stop the running and the conditioning. If you want to learn more about fighting, we need to add more trainings . It'll take up more of your time. You won't have much left for your homework or anything else. You'll be tired. A lot." I warned her.

"It doesn't matter. If you tell me to do it, I'll do it"

I thought about it for a moment. She deserved the chance to put of a fight – a _real_ fight – before she died crushed by a Strigoi. If she did. Which she probably would. I had to teach her enough to make her able to run away. I had to help her save herself, if I wasn't there to do it.

I nodded. "We'll start tomorrow"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Excuse me, Mr. Nagy? I can't really concentrate with Lissa and Rose passing notes over there…" Mia said innocently. I almost snorted. _Way to go, kiss-ass._

Resisting the urge to rub his hands together and cackle, darling Mr. Nagy (beloved by all who saw him and loved even more by those who _didn't_) swooped in and snatched the note away from Lissa's shaking hands.

I suddenly remembered that I had been much better at that as a child. In fact, I think I even ate a note, once.

"My, my." The guy was so pleased, it was disturbing. "If only students would write this much in their essays. One of you has considerably worse writing than the other, so forgive me if I get anything wrong."

He cleared his throat. "'So, I saw J last night', begins the person with bad handwriting, to which the response is 'what happened', followed by no fewer than five question marks. Understandable, since sometimes one – let alone four – just won't get the point across, eh?"

Everyone laughed.

_Oh, Lord. Not good. _I thought.

_Let's run._

_Daemon! We don't run, for Christ's sake. We just… walk away quickly._

"The first speaker responds, 'what do you think happened? We hooked up in one of the empty lounges'." Giggles erupted. "May I assume by this reaction that the use of hook up pertains to the more recent, shall we say, _carnal_ application of the term than the tamer one I grew up with?"

Rose's face was blank. The Apocalypse headed our way. "Yes sir, Mr. Nagy. That would be correct, sir."

I would've laughed if not for the fact that I was feeling the need to bash Zeklos's teeth in, no matter whose cousin, nephew or whatever he was.

"Thank you for the confirmation, Miss Hathaway. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the other speaker then asks, 'how was it?' The response is 'good', punctuated with a smiley face to confirm said adjective." Mr. Nagy's eyebrows wiggled. "Well, I suppose kudos are in order to the mysterious J, hmm?"

_She enjoyed it. Rose… Rose thought he was… good? That is so disgusting._

_Oh, sure. Because you've never wanted to kiss her the way Zeklos did, right?_ Daemon rolled his eyes.

_Precisely. Stop with the sarcasm, okay? It's getting old._

"'So, like, how far did you guys go?' Uh, ladies, I hope this doesn't surpass a PG rating…" Mr. Nagy warned before plunging on. "'Not very. We got caught'. And again, we are shown the severity of the situation, this time through the use of a not-smiling face."

_Oh. She really did like it. I'll kill him. _

_And send her to a nunnery. _Daemon added_. For her own good._

"'What happened?'" Mr. Nagy read. "'Dimitri showed up. He threw Jesse out and then bitched me out'."

Rose's spine went rigid. The class burst into laughter as I fumed.

_Okay, Hathaway kid. Let's clear it up: I bitch no one._

"Why, Mr. Zeklos, are you the aforementioned J? The one who earned a smiley face from the sloppy writer?" The guy had the decency to blush, at least. Though God knows he really looked like a girl when he did.

"Well, while I applaud a good misadventure as much as the next teacher whose time is utterly wasted, do remind your friends in the future that my class is _not_ a chat room." The paper was contemptuously tossed on Lissa's desk.

The damned, mother-fucking paper…

"Miss Hathaway, it seems there's no feasible way to punish you, seeing as you're already maxed out on penalties around here. Ergo, you, Miss Dragomir, will serve two detentions instead of one on behalf of your friend. Stay here when the bell rings, please." Mr. Nagy finished.

And the bell rang, eventually. Which lifted my mood.

Well, until I saw the biggest dick in the known world approaching the girls with an uneasy look on his face.

"Hey, um, about that note…you know I didn't have anything to do with that. If Belikov finds out about it…you'll tell him? I mean, you'll let him know I didn't—"

"Yeah, yeah." Rose interrupted Jesse, sounding bored. "Don't worry, you're safe."

He walked out of the room under the girls' watchful gaze. Finally, Rose broke their silence. "You know, Jesse's suddenly not as hot as I used to think."

And just like that, my anger vanished into sparkly clean happiness.

_Your pathetic crush on her is as terribly creepy as Mr. Nagy's note reading. _Daemon said. I didn't even bother replying to that one.

Lissa laughed. "You'd better go. I've got desks to wash."

Rose stalked off towards her dorm and I followed some distance behind. Not that I was stalking her, or anything, the guardians' rooms were just near the novices' dorm. Really.

"Rose!" A voice shouted as we came into view of the dorm. "Rose! Hey, Hathaway!"

I rolled my eyes. Mason. That was so… ugh. There were far too many guys in Rose's life for my liking. I'd have to start considering skillful elimination.

"Rose! Rosemarie! Rose!"

I had a feeling he would start waving his arms for her attention any moment.

"Hey, Rose?" He asked as she got closer. "I've called you, like, a hundred times."

"Sorry." She mumbled. "I'm out of it. Just, umm… tired."

"Too much excitement last night?"

Oh, after that, I had to listen. My sisters, God bless them, had taught me one good thing (aside from how to properly brush my hair): How to listen to gossip.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Rose dead-panned.

"I guess," Mason laughed uncomfortably. "Sounds like Jesse couldn't handle it."

"He did okay." She was defending him? _What next? A striptease?_

"If you say so. But personally, I think you've got bad taste."

_So do I._

_Mainly because you are every bit as jealous as he is. _Daemon sniffed.

_Jealous?_

_Your face should be an emerald by now._

"And _I _don't think it's any of your business." Rose snapped.

"You made it the whole class's business." He said, looking away from her.

"Hey, I didn't do that on purpose!" Rose protested.

"Would've happened anyway." Mason shrugged. "Jesse's got a big mouth."

"He wouldn't have told." _Thanks to… oh, yeah. Good ole little me. *_Insert round of applause here.*

"Yeah, because he's so cute and has such an important family." Mason rolled his eyes.

"Stop being an idiot. And why do you even care? Jealous I'm not doing it with you?"

The kid flushed, the only answer I needed. The _yes_ was in his eyes.

"I just don't like hearing people talk shit about you, that's all." He lied ."There are a lot of nasty jokes going around. They're calling you a slut."

_Who, kid? Define 'they'._

"I don't care what they call me." Rose answered.

"Oh, yeah. You're really tough. You don't need anyone." Note the sarcasm, please. Mason was, apparently, a master.

"I don't. I'm one of the best novices in this fucking place. I don't need you acting all gallant and coming to my defense. Don't treat me like I'm some helpless girl." _Um, arrogance? No, Rosemarie Hathaway doesn't have a drop of that. _

"Look… I didn't mean to upset you." Mason apologized. "I'm just worried about you."

Rose laughed.

"I'm serious! Wait. I, uh, did something for you." _Not flowers, please, God, not flowers or he'll die of embarrassment soon. _"Sort of. I went to the library last night and tried to look up Saint Vladimir."

Rose stopped. _Ok, what the fuck am I not understanding? Anyone else confused?_

Daemon raised his hand. _I am._

"You did?" She asked.

"Yeah, but there wasn't much on Anna."

_Anna? Rose is not a lesbian, is she?_ Daemon asked, horrified. _Not that I have anything against them, and it _would_ rule you out, which is certainly good, but…_

_She's Vladimir's guardian, I think. But why would she care?_

"All the books were kind of generic." Mason grimaced. "Just talked about him healing people, bringing them back from the brink of death…"

Rose frowned. "Was… was there anything else?"

"No. You probably need some primary sources, but we don't have any here." Mason shook his head.

"Primary what?"

_Excellent question, Rose. Now, let's hear the answer from darling Mase._

"Do you do anything but pass notes?" _Apparently, no_. "We just talked about them the other day in Andrews' class. They're books from the actual time period you want to study. Secondary ones are written by people living today. You'll get better information if you find something written by the guy himself. Or someone who actually knew him."

"Huh. Ok. What are you, like, a boy genius now?" Rose asked.

"I pay attention, that's all." He punched her. He punched her arm. _I will submerge him in a vat of boiling acid if he hurts her_. "You miss all sorts of things. And look… I really am sorry about what I said. I was just…"

_Going slowly green with envy? So in love with you I could not contain myself? Being a moron? All of the above? Come on, kid, take your pick._

I could practically see the light bulb going on above Rose's head as she smiled. "It's all right, Mase. Forget about it. And thanks for looking that stuff up."

_At least she said thank you,_ Daemon huffed. _Though she's a long way from being a lady._

I just walked the rest of the way to my room in silence, wondering about the meaning of that last smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next day, Hank spontaneously decided to sit with me for lunch. Why? Unless you're under the influence of some king of drug, your guess is probably as good as mine.

"Hey, Belikov" He said suddenly "you know what I heard today?"

"Do I want to?" I asked him.

"Ok, ok, I'll tell you, no need to beg. Your student slept with Jesse Zeklos and let him drink her blood" Hank grinned, looking amazingly like my next door neighbor, an eighty-year-old lady that spent her days making everyone's business her own.

"She didn't" I replied curtly.

_Hank's love for gossip is almost as creepy as you are, _Daemon said, rolling his eyes. _Why can't I have normal friends?_

_Because you're not normal, either._ I answered. _You're a figment of my imagination._ _And, besides, since when is Hank our friend?_

_Ok, point taken. And I am a part of you, not a figment of your perverted, half-gone mind._

"What would _you _know about it?" Hank asked, taking a huge bite out of his sandwich.

"I was there" I dead-panned, shocking him into spitting the contents of his bologna sandwich all over me.

_Note to self: startling Hank while he eats is not a good idea._

"What do you mean, you were there? Were you, like, _watching _or something? Was it an orgy? Did you record it? Isn't that illegal? Can I have a copy? Of the video, I mean. Or are you selling it? Cause I would definitely buy –"

_Wow. He's sicker than you are. That's a shock,_ Daemon crossed his arms over his chest. _But I refuse to pray for his soul. He wanted to see little Rose naked. He should suffer._

I wiped the half-chewed bologna sandwich off my face, feeling my left eye would begin to twitch compulsively any second.

"Yes, I was there and no, I did not watch them have sex because they were only kissing. It was not an orgy and _of course_ I did not record it! It _is _illegal! And, by the way, you are way too weird for me, man. And if you ever spray your lunch all over me again, you _will _be hurt" I interrupted "That's a promise"

I stood up and left to wash the food in my hair and the bile in my throat away.

* * *

I met Rose in the gym after school. I'd changed into pants and a shirt after Hank's little _accident_, which was what he called it when he phoned me to apologize. She wore pants and a shirt too, but it was definitely a better look for her.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and placed her gently on the mat. I stood facing her a few steps away and crossed my arms. It was a surprisingly Daemon-like gesture.

"What's the first problem you'll run into when facing a Strigoi?" I asked Rose, feeling rude for not properly greeting her first.

"They're immortal?" She guessed. Daemon rolled his eyes, and it took all my self-control not to follow his example.

"Think of something more basic" Rose cocked her head to the side.

"They _could _be bigger than me. And stronger" She said.

_Could? Not many people are shorter than you, dear. Sorry to break it to you like this,_ Daemon said sarcastically. I couldn't help but agree.

"That makes it difficult, but not impossible" I nodded. "You can usually use a person's extra height and weight against them"

I spent the next forty-five minutes showing her how to do just that. Fortunately, Rose was a quick learner, and I could see the excitement in her eyes when we were nearly finished.

"Go ahead" I told her, wanting a laugh "Try to hit me"

She obeyed immediately – something that didn't, of course, happen too often – and lunged forwards.

She was down on the floor as quickly as she'd attacked.

Daemon laughed. _She's good, isn't she? Really good. But not as good as we are. Though it's not so nice to hit a lady._

_Since when is Rose a lady?_ I snorted. _And you sure are vain, aren't you? I'm the one doing all the work. You just sit there and watch._

_At least I pray, _he retorted._ Saving or soul is more important than working out._

_If I don't work out, we probably won't have a soul for too long, _I finished.

Rose jumped up and attacked again – probably trying to catch me off-guard. She didn't, and after several tries, she gave up.

"Ok. What am I doing wrong?" Rose was admitting weakness? Tears almost came to my eyes. I was so proud.

"Nothing" Her eyebrows flew up.

"If I wasn't doing anything wrong, I'd have rendered you unconscious by now"

_Hardly. _

"Unlikely. Your moves are all correct, but this is the first time you've really tried. I've done it for years" I bragged.

_Vanity is a sin,_ Daemon hissed.

_Lock me up, then, why don't you? It'd be fun to see you try, considering the fact that I'm the one who actually controls our body._

Rose rolled her eyes "Whatever you say, Grandpa"

_Grandpa? Really?_

"Can we try it again?" She asked. I shrugged.

"We're out of time. Don't you want to get ready?" I asked her, shocked. Rose looked at the clock and her whole face lit up.

"Hell yeah, I do!" I turned around and walked off to hide my amused smile. Girls. They were all the same, no matter how tough they looked.

I was shaken out of my frightening memories of my sisters and a curling iron by a Rose-style scream. I whirled around to see her lunging for my back. I quickly grabbed her wrists and threw her to the ground, my weigh on top of her.

Rose groaned "I didn't do anything wrong!"

I couldn't bite back my smile anymore "The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time"

"Would it have really made a difference if I'd been quiet?" She asked skeptically.

I actually thought about it. "No, probably not"

Rose sighed loudly, still happy because she'd get to dress up. Daemon tapped my shoulder.

_What now?_ I asked.

_You do realize this is quite an inappropriate position, don't you?_ He said, trying to keep calm.

I almost had a heart attack. For once in his life, Daemon was right. Delightfully right. My body was actually pressed up against Rose's, my face a few inches from hers. Best of all, she was looking at me almost as hard as I was staring at her. Like she was memorizing my face.

_She smells really good. Like flowery soap…_

Daemon was rock-hard. _Get off of her!_

_Why?_

Rose gulped and my gaze was drawn from her lips to her throat. I had actually contemplated kissing her "So, um… you got any other moves to show me?"

My lips twitched at her nervousness, but Daemon's screaming helped me swallow back my grin. I stood up. "Come on. We should go"

Rose scrambled to her feet and got up.

I walked away with Daemon's screams of hell and pedophilia in my ears, refusing to look back.

* * *

The queen was coming. Queen Tatiana, I mean. Not that I really cared that much, but Daemon had finally quieted down when I promised to dress for the occasion and pray for five minutes before I went to sleep, and I didn't wanna push it.

So I quickly showered and threw on a tux – what? Queens don't visit every day – and hoped that my hair would not suddenly decide to go insane. That had happened before.

I arrived to the commons right on time. Alberta and the rest of the female guardians had fixed the room up after a week of arguing about color schemes and flowers and nearly going insane with last-minute plans. It had been hilarious to watch.

Whatever. My point is, the room looked great, ok? Moving on…

We all took our positions along the walls as the students began to arrive. Girls flitted about in silky dresses, guys high-fived and slapped each other's backs. It was total and complete chaos.

Finally, about half an hour before the queen was scheduled to arrive, everyone began to settle down into their assigned seating. Rose burst into the room hurriedly, wearing a tight sweater and some jeans. She was late – no surprise there – so she quickly found her seat and actually managed to keep quiet. For once.

She scanned the room and I looked straight ahead, seeing her in my peripheral vision. She took one look at me, blushed and grimaced. Then, she turned her head towards whomever was sitting next to her and began talking the red in her cheeks away.

_Awkward,_ Daemon chanted.

_Samesies._

The Queen swept in, a crowd of royals trailing behind her. Four guardians – Jake, Gustav, Francis and someone else that I didn't know yet – walked behind her in pinstriped jackets that had probably cost more than all the girls' dresses put together.

Everyone sank to their knees (which I thought was ridiculous, but whatever) and I saw Rose roll her eyes. Apparently, she thought the same thing.

"Vasilisa Dragomir" The queen said grandly. Rose leaned over the aisle to take a better look. Typical of her.

"We heard you had returned. We are glad to have the Dragomirs back, even though only one remains. We deeply regret the loss of your parents and your brother; they were among the finest of the Moroi, their deaths a true tragedy" Rose looked wary. "You have an interesting name. Many heroines in Russian fairy tales are named Vasilisa. Vasilisa the Brave, Vasilisa the Beautiful. They are different young women, all having the same name and the same excellent qualities: strength, intelligence, discipline, and virtue. All accomplish great things, triumphing over their adversaries. Likewise, the Dragomir name commands its own respect. Dragomir kings and queens have ruled wisely and justly in our history. They have used their powers for miraculous ends. They have slain Strigoi, fighting right alongside their guardians. They are _royal _for a reason"

The Princess smiled shyly. I frowned, the queen rarely gave praise, and _this_? This was way beyond praise for her. It couldn't be good.

"Yes, you are doubly named with power. Your names represent the finest qualities people have to offer and hearken back in time to deeds of greatness and valor. But," _Ah, the famous but. Here comes the good part _"as you have demonstrated, names do not make a person. Nor do they have any bearing on how that person turns out"

Ah, Queen Bitch was back.

Rose's fists were clenched, her face darkened by anger. She actually moved to stand up for a second, then looked around at the guardians and sat back down.

_Good girl. Stay there. _

She waited impatiently during the rest of the presentation while Lissa suffered in silence, her face drawn into a grimace. The moment everything ended, both the girls rushed out like the hounds of hell chasing their prey.

I went after them – or tried. I just _knew_ that something bad was gonna happen when Rose got really mad, though that really didn't take too much intelligence to figure out. So I wandered around aimlessly, hoping to find them before Hathaway lost it and threw some punches.

Finally, I wandered into a little courtyard and heard raised voices – a sure sign of trouble, and, consequently, Rose.

"Yeah? Try and touch me now and find out" I heard her voice taunt. I sighed. Picking a fight was _so_ predictable of her.

I stepped out of some bushes and took in the scene. Mia Rinaldi, with a small posse behind her, stood facing Rose, who had Lissa sheltered behind her. I quickly walked over to stand next to Hathaway and stop the impending fight, though it would've been terribly fun to watch.

_What is it with you and violence?_ Daemon asked.

_Well, you're not exactly a hippie, either._

"Everything all right?" I asked, acting clueless while I crossed my arms. Rose pushed her fury away and smiled brilliantly at me.

"Sure thing, Guardian Belikov" She said innocently. As if. "We were just swapping family stories. Ever heard Mia's? It's _fascinating_"

The blonde's face went red. "Come on"

She and her followers evaporated into thin air after one last, Mexican-standoff-style glare between her and Hathaway.

"I'm supposed to take you back to your dorm" I told her simply "You weren't about to just start a fight, were you?"

"Of course not" Rose lied, still staring at the empty space where Mia had stood moments before "I don't start fights were people can see them"

_Good point._

"Rose" Lissa groaned. I shook my head, unimpressed.

"Let's go. Goodnight, Princess" I said formally and turned, hoping Hathaway would follow me.

As usual, Rose ignored me. "You going to be Ok, Liss?"

"I'm fine"

"Liss –" Rose began.

"I told you, I'm fine. You've got to go" Lissa insisted. Rose followed me reluctantly.

"We may need to add an extra training on self-control" I noted.

_You think?_ Daemon scoffed. _No kidding._

"I have plenty of self-contr– hey!" Rose broke off, staring at Chris Ozera. "You going to see Lissa?"

"What if I am?" He replied, sounding amazingly like his aunt.

"Rose, this isn't the time" I interrupted, seeing she was ready to take all her anger out on him.

And I was, as usual, ignored.

"Why don't you just leave her alone? Are you so messed up and desperate for attention that you can't tell when someone doesn't like you?" Rose frowned "You're some crazy stalker, and she knows it. She's told me all about your weird obsession—how you're always hanging out in the attic together, how you set Ralf on fire to impress her. She thinks you're a freak, but she's too nice to say anything"

I would've bought it if I hadn't known her so well. I truly would've. And, unfortunately, Ozera _did_. He fell for every word.

"But _you _aren't too nice?" He asked sarcastically.

"No. Not when I feel sorry for someone" Rose answered.

_Get her away from him,_ Daemon suggested. _Do it now._

"Enough" I said, taking Rose's arm and steering her away.

"Thanks for _helping_, then" Christian called out.

"No problem" Hathaway yelled over her shoulder.

Oh, she was _really_ a bitch.

But I still could not regret those ten seconds I had stolen with her back at the gym.

* * *

**Awwwww... D's so cuuuteeee!!!!!!! Who doesn't love him?? **

**Guys, please review. Let's try to make it to 90 reviews this chapter, Ok? Or 100...**

**Today's question: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST KISS LIKE?**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I was having a pretty awesome dream about this keg party I'd been to in tenth grade when the phone rang. The strippers stopped and looked around.

It rang again and the room started to fade.

_Mother fucking bastard jackass hole of shit…_

I groaned, answered, and mumbled something that sounded like an alien attempting to say hello under the influence of Budweiser.

"Guardian Belikov, your student claims that she needs to see you immediately" The dorm matron said "It sounds important"

"I'll be right there" I mumbled, hanging up. For one fateful moment, I seriously considered going back to the keg dream because, hell, Rose may be as pretty as a whore's ass, but I need to sleep. Like most of the human population.

Rubbing my eyes, I snatched the can of Red Bull I kept on my nightstand for occasions like this and chugged it down like a madman.

Do _not_ ask me how, but I was dressed and standing in the dorm some seconds afterwards. My memories of the walk there are blurry and, considering that one of them includes being abducted by nuns disguised as penguins, I'm guessing they're also not true.

I trudged up the steps – Red Bull can make you pretty hyper, but it can't beat sleep – and woke up a bit along the way. I opened the door and took a good look at the whore's ass girl that had dragged me out of my warm bed "Lissa"

She nodded.

Suppressing a sigh, I turned around and headed back down the stairs. The day was as bright as my Mother's smile – too bright. I felt like Dracula being forced out into the sun.

We stepped into the Moroi dorm, nearly gave the dorm matron a heart attack and were standing at the girls' bathroom door in less than a minute. Rose started to go inside but stopped when the matron tried to follow.

"She's too upset" She protested "Let me talk to her alone first"

I thought about it and ruled out arguing with her. I just wanted to go back to sleep, and the sooner that happened, the better.

"Yes, give them a minute" I said.

Rose stepped in. "Liss?"

A sniffing, wet sound – like a sob – reached my ears before Rose closed the door. The matron managed to wait a few moments before she began to chatter loudly in her irritating, high-pitched voice about "these kids of today."

Daemon sighed. _I wanna go home._

_You sound like a three-year-old brat. _I told him.

_Well, you're tired, too. Let's just go back to sleep…_

"Rose?" I knocked on the door, unable to stand the matron's blabber for another second.

"Just a sec" Rose pleaded from behind the door.

"We're coming in" The matron warned. She opened the door, revealing Lissa's bloody face.

I was standing next to her in a second.

"It's not mine" She assured me "It… It's the rabbit…"

I looked her over.

"What rabbit?" I asked, puzzled. The Princess pointed at the trash can in the far corner of the room.

"I cleaned it up" She explained "So Natalie wouldn't see"

I walked over and peeked over the can's edge, Rose right behind me. Blood and bits of fur were covering used paper towels. Rose stepped back, her hand on her mouth. She looked a bit green.

I grabbed some tissues and handed them to Lissa. Then, I crouched until I could look her in the eye. "Tell me what happened"

She took a deep breath "I came back about an hour ago. And it was there. Right there in the middle of the floor. Torn apart. It was like it had…exploded" She sniffed. "I didn't want Natalie to find it, didn't want to scare her…so I—I cleaned it up. Then I just couldn't…I couldn't go back…"

Lissa sobbed and her tears began falling on the tiled floor. Rose's face lit up – she had understood something, something left unsaid. I had not heard the whole story.

"No one should be able to get into those rooms!" The matron wailed "How is this happening?"

"Do you know who did it?" I asked the Princess. I was given a crumpled paper soaked in blood as an answer. I set it on the counter and smoothed it out. It was like something from a horror movie.

_I know what you are. You won't survive being here. I'll make sure of it. Leave now. It's the only way you might live through this._

The matron's eyes widened when she read the note's message. She gritted her teeth "I'm getting Ellen"

"Tell her we'll be at the clinic" I ordered, just in case Lissa had any wounds. The matron scuttled out and I turned towards the blonde girl "You should lie down"

She remained still until Rose linked her arm through hers. "Come on, Liss. Let's get you out of here"

We slowly led Lissa to the clinic. The only nurse on duty offered to wake one of the sleeping doctors.

"She just needs to rest" I told her. She nodded, letting the Princess stretch out on the narrow bed.

And Kirova, Hank and the dorm matron chose that precise moment to burst in and start firing questions at her.

"Leave her alone!" Rose snapped, placing herself between the pack of angry wolves and the bed "Can't you see she doesn't want to talk about it? Let her get some sleep first!"

"Miss Hathaway, you're out of line as usual. I don't even know what you're doing here" Kirova sniffed.

Rose's face began to get red. Time to intervene.

"Headmistress, may I speak with you privately?" I didn't even wait for an answer, I simply strode out into the hall, hoping that what I was about to say would not get me in trouble.

Kirova followed me straight away. "Well, Guardian Belikov? What do you wish to tell me?"

"I assume you have been informed of what happened" I said, buying time. Kirova nodded "Then, surely you agree that the Princess should be allowed to rest before she is questioned"

"The sooner we have the answers…"

"She was quite traumatized by the experience" I interrupted "I do not think, if I may be so bold, that it shows wise judgment on your part to barrage her with questions when she is in such a delicate state"

"Guardian Belikov!" She exclaimed, shocked.

"Because it may frighten her into giving us incorrect information" I continued.

Kirova considered it carefully. "Very well, then. She will stay and we will let her sleep immediately. But Miss Hathaway must leave"

"Headmistress…"

"I am not in the mood for arguing, Guardian Belikov" Her eyes flashed dangerously, warning me not to push it. I nodded and returned quietly to the room.

"You may stay with her for a little while" Kirova told Rose generously. "We'll have janitors do further cleaning and investigation in the bathroom and your room, Miss Dragomir, and then discuss the situation in detail in the morning"

"Don't wake Natalie" Lissa pleaded "I don't want to scare her. I cleaned up everything in the room anyway"

Kirova nodded, unconvinced.

"Is there anything I can get you, Princess?" The nurse offered "Food? Some water?"

Lissa declined and I had the good grace to, as my sister Karo used to say, evaporate. Multiply myself by zero.

I disappeared into the dark night, the Red Bull gone from by system, and somehow stumbled back to bed.

* * *

By the time the Slavic Art class rolled around the next day, I was in a very bad mood. I had woken up with a headache that had only gotten worse as the day went on. Plus, Hank had been pestering me during lunch, saying he had something to tell me about Rose and then teasing me with it when I told him that, if he did not go away, I would give him a black eye.

Yeah, it was turning out to be a very shitty day.

And then this totally random guy went up to Rose and said something that, if I repeated it here, would make Daemon go insane once and for all and get me thrown out of the United States and into Africa.

_How… I mean, what… Good God, how dare he?_ Daemon sputtered, too mad for words.

Fortunately, Rose _wasn't _too mad for words, and she kindly let the uneducated bastard know he could shove his comments up his ass. Heck_, I_ would've shoved them up for him. Followed up by Elvis's head to make sure they actually _stayed there_.

"Come on, Rose" He laughed "I bleed for you"

The whole class burst into laughter.

_The list…_

_I'm on it._

"Wait, it's Rose who does the bleeding, right?" Mia asked. The nerve of her.

Understanding showed in Rose's face and she quickly whispered something in Lissa's ear. Their furious argument ended when Rose stood up and walked over to where Christian was seated.

"I'm going to kill you" She said, her face close to his.

_Oh, no. Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy…_

"Why? Is it like guardian extra credit?" He asked.

"Stop with the attitude" She snapped "You told. You told how Lissa had to feed off me"

"Tell her" The Princess begged "Tell her she's wrong"

So they were friends. Attracted to each other, probably, from what Rose had said last night. And she had ruined it.

"You can stop it, you know. You don't have to pretend anymore" Ozera said coldly.

"I… what? Pretend what?" Lissa demanded, confusion in her eyes.

"You know what. Just stop. Stop with the act" Christian said brusquely.

"Get over feeling sorry for yourself and tell us what's going on" Rose ordered "Did you or didn't you tell them?"

"No. I didn't" He maintained.

"I don't believe you"

"I do" Lissa assured him.

"I know it's impossible to believe a _freak_ like me could keep his mouth shut—especially since neither of you can—but I have better things to do than spread stupid rumors. You want someone to blame? Blame your golden boy over there" He pointed to Jesse Zeklos.

_I knew we should've been watching him!_

_Nothing good ever comes from sin,_ Daemon shook his head.

_Since when is kissing a sin?_

"Jesse doesn't know" Lissa scoffed.

"He does, though. Doesn't he, Rose? He knows" Christian said. Rose took a deep, shuddering breath.

"I didn't think…I didn't think he'd tell. He was too afraid of Dimitri"

_As well he should be._

"You told him?" Lissa accused.

"No, he guessed" Rose moaned.

"He apparently did more than guess" Christian rolled his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hathaway asked, looking like an Amazon warrior, fire in her eyes.

"Oh. You don't know" He said.

"I swear to God, Christian, I'm going to break your neck after class" Rose threatened. I believed her. Lissa just watched the ping-pong match.

"Man, you really are unstable" He grinned. Then his face fell "He sort of elaborated on what was in your note. Got into a little more detail."

"Oh, I get it. He said we had sex" Rose dead-panned.

"And, uh, Ralf too. That you and he–"

"I — what? That I had sex with Ralf too?"

Christian nodded at Rose's shocked fury.

"That asshole! I'm going to—"

"There's more" He broke in.

"How? Did I sleep with the basketball team?" Rose shrieked.

"He said—they both said—you let them…well, you let them…" The last words were said in tones so hushed I could not make them out.

"That's crazy!" Lissa exclaimed "Rose would never – Rose?"

Rose's gaze was locked on thee laughing pair of blubbering idiots, her eyes so purely dangerous that I actually shivered. I had a feeling the janitor would be cleaning up blood soon.

And I was more than glad to let it happen. Hell, I would join Rose, if she let me.

The sickos looked up, terror on their faces. The class stopped like someone had pressed the pause button.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rose said slowly. Ralph smiled.

"We didn't do anything you didn't want us to do" He grinned, Jesse's horrified face next to him "And don't even _think _about laying a hand on us. You start a fight, and Kirova'll kick you out to go live with the other blood whores"

_She won't be the one to lay a hand on them. _Daemon muttered. _We must murder them while they sleep._

_Isn't that a sin?_ I gasped.

_It's in the defense of a lady_, he shrugged.

_I'm so proud of you, man._

With a deep breath, Rose turned around and walked away.

* * *

Progress is a beautiful word. That day, Rose was actually early for practice. Best of all, she fought so hard, she actually landed a few blows on me.

When our time was up, I focused on tracking Hank down.

"Tell me the rumor" I ordered. He grinned.

"Ah, Belikov, I'm not sure I should…"

I yanked him closer "It wasn't a question"

"They say Rose slept with Jesse and Ralph at the same time" He gulped "They also say she let them drink her blood"

I went pale.

Hank took one good look at my face and fled. Away he ran, like a coward or a headless chicken, leaving me to fume.

I ran back to the gym to punch something – anything. Lots of anythings actually, the walls, the bags… I even smashed my head on the floor. And it didn't hurt.

"Guardian Belikov?" Lissa asked. I stopped the head-banging and turned to face her, the wild look in my eyes fading into embarrassment.

I stood up, brushed myself down and hoped for dignity "Yes, Princess?"

"I was wondering whether you could get Rose out of the dorm so we can talk" She said, looking down at her feet.

"Of course" I blurted unthinkingly. She looked up at me.

"Really?" I nodded "Thank you"

I led Lissa out the door and behind the dhampir dorm, making her wait outside. Sprinting up the stairs, I knocked on Rose's door.

She opened.

Her hair was tied back in a bun, her eyes rimmed with red. All traces of makeup had vanished, and she held her pajamas in one hand. I could see into the room, all the way to her bed, actually. As if her pink nose wasn't enough, her pillow was wet.

I glanced away. "Are you Ok?"

_Does she look ok? _Daemon asked. _Jeez. Idiot._

_I'm trying, here!_

"It doesn't matter if I am, remember?" She said bravely "Is Lissa Ok? This'll be hard on her"

I looked up at her, shocked. She was actually worried about her, even when she had just finished crying.

I really wanted to hug her then.

So I did what I do best. Bit my tongue and walked away, silently asking her to follow me. I jogged down the steps and out of the building.

"Five minutes" I warned her. That was the most original, comforting thing I could come up with.

_Pathetic_, Daemon huffed.

_Well, I would've hugged her, but that would've just gotten you started on sin and pedophilia and all the saints in Heaven wouldn't shut you up, so… yeah. It's your fault._

Lissa immediately threw her arms around her best friend. They drew back.

"I'm sorry"

Rose shrugged off the apology "Not your fault. It'll pass"

Lissa looked skeptical at that. "It _is _my fault. She did it to get back at me"

"She?" Rose asked the question for me.

"Mia" Lissa spit. "Jesse and Ralf aren't smart enough to think of something like that on their own. You said it yourself: Jesse was too scared of Dimitri to talk much about what happened. And why wait until now? It happened a while ago. If he'd wanted to spread stuff around, he would have done it back then. Mia's doing this as retaliation for you talking about her parents. I don't know how she managed it, but she's the one who got them to say those things"

Rose sighed "Nothing to be done now"

"Rose –"

"Forget it, Liss. It's done, Ok?" They both went silent for a few seconds.

"I haven't seen you cry in a long time" Lissa whispered.

"I wasn't crying" Rose protested.

"She can't do this to you!" Lissa argued

"She already did" Rose laughed bitterly "She said she'd get back at me, that I wouldn't be able to protect you. She did it. When I go back to classes…"

"You shouldn't have to keep protecting me" Lissa went on.

"That's my job. I'm going to be your guardian" Rose said.

"I know, but I meant like this. You shouldn't suffer because of me. You shouldn't always have to look after me. And yet you always do. You got me out of here. You took care of everything when we were on our own. Even since coming back…you've always been the one who does all the work. Every time I break down—like last night—you're always there. Me, I'm _weak_. I'm not like you"

"That doesn't matter" Rose assured her "It's what I do. I don't mind"

"Yeah, but look what happened. _I'm_ the one she really has a grudge against—even though I still don't know why. Whatever. It's going to stop. I'm going to protect _you _from now on" Lissa said confidently.

"Lissa, you can't protect me" Rose said gently.

"I can," she said fiercely. "There's one thing Mia wants more than to destroy you and me. She wants to be accepted. She wants to hang out with the royals and feel like she's one of them. I can take that away from her. I can turn them against her."

"How?" She wondered.

"By _telling _them"

"Liss—no. You can't use compulsion. Not around here" Rose begged, horrified.

_I knew it!_

"I might as well get some use out of these stupid powers" She said bitterly.

_Powers? She hadn't specialized!_

_Had she?_

"Liss, if you get caught—" The five minutes were up. I poked my head out.

"You've got to get back inside, Rose, before someone finds you" I said reluctantly.

"I'll take care of everything this time, Rose" Lissa promised "_Everything_"

It was scary.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The rumors were horrible. Rose wilted like a flower in the desert. She didn't eat, didn't even speak to anyone outside of Lissa, who was spiraled into popularity by the events (and compulsion, of course). She ignored everything and everyone, only to rush to our practices together after school.

It was heartbreaking.

That day, we started off with a run and then began an offensive exercise using makeshift weapons.

Rose fought like she wanted to murder me. In fact, she actually hit me some times, and boy, it _hurt_. But I didn't stagger. _She_ did.

It was all going great until we began putting the equipment away. It made me notice her hands.

Bloody and full of blisters, Rose's hands were a sorry sight. I cursed under my breath and she turned towards me, shocked.

"Your hands. Where are your gloves?" I demanded, throwing whatever was in my arms down.

"Don't have any. Never needed them in Portland" Rose shrugged.

_Well, fuck me gently with a chain saw, would you? I will kill that damned Kirova. Heck, I'll kill myself for not thinking that…_

I sat her down on a chair and went to get the First Aid kit.

I wiped away the blood "We'll get you some"

"This is only the start, isn't it?" Rose looked down at her hands sadly.

"Of what?" I asked. Daemon was mercifully quiet.

"Me turning into Alberta. Her… and all the other female guardians. They're all leathery and stuff. Fighting and training and always being outdoors – they aren't pretty anymore. This, this life. It destroys them. Their looks, I mean"

_Vain, much?_ Daemon snorted. I waved goodbye to the silence.

I looked up at Rose "It won't happen to _you_. You're too…"

_Pedophile! Pedophile! What would your mother think, huh? This would break her heart!_

_It's already broken, _I snapped, thinking of my father_. And she likes Rose._

_It's no use talking to you, _Daemon huffed_. I'll have to go pray, though it can't do much good when you're chasing young girls around while plotting how to take away their virtue._

When exactly Rose had become a virgin in his mind was not clear, but I abstained from making any more comments and kept my mouth shut.

"It won't happen to you" I said firmly.

"It happened to my mom" Rose persisted "She used to be beautiful. I guess she still is, sort of. But not the way she used to be. Haven't seen her in a while. She could look completely different for all I know"

The bitterness in her tone shocked me "You don't like your mother"

"You noticed that, huh?" I rubbed the salve on her hands.

"You barely know her" Daemon shook his head and prayed louder.

"That's the point. She abandoned me. She left me to be raised by the Academy" Rose defended herself.

"You say that…but what else should she have done? I know you want to be a guardian. I know how much it means to you. Do you think she feels any differently? Do you think she should have quit to raise you when you'd spend most of your life here anyway?" I asked.

"Are you saying I'm a hypocrite?" Well, I feel like one now, so, _no_, not really.

"I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't be so hard on her. She's a very respected dhampir woman. She's set you on the path to be the same" I shrugged.

"It wouldn't kill her to visit more" Rose mumbled "But I guess you're right. A little. It could have been worse, I suppose. I could have been raised with blood whores"

I looked up "I was raised in a dhampir commune. They aren't as bad as you think"

"Oh. I didn't mean—" Rose stuttered.

"It's all right" I said softly.

"So, did you, like, have family there? Grow up with them?" She asked.

"My mother and two sisters" I nodded "I didn't see them much after I went to school, but we still keep in touch. Mostly, the communities are about family. There's a lot of love there, no matter what stories you've heard"

!Yeah, but…isn't it weird? Aren't there a lot of Moroi men visiting to, you know?…" Rose looked away uncomfortably.

"Sometimes" I answered darkly, rubbing circles in her hand.

_That mother fucking bastard of my father…_

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something bad…." Rose apologized.

_I am so proud of her_, Daemon sniffed. _Such a lady she is!_

"Actually…you probably wouldn't think it's bad" I mused, forcing a smile "You don't know your father, do you?"

"No. All I know is he must have had wicked cool hair" Rose said. I looked up.

"Yes. He must have" I blurted.

_You pedophile! Fucking bastard! Son of a… _Daemon cussed.

_Hey! Do _not _get my mother into this._

I looked down at Rose's hands "I knew mine"

She gasped softly "Really? Most Moroi guys don't stay—I mean, some do, but you know, usually

they just—"

"Well, he _liked_ my mother" I said bitterly, quoting him "And he visited her a lot. He's my sisters' father too. But when he came…well, he didn't treat my mother very well. He did some horrible things"

"Like…" Rose hesitated, trying to be tactful, probably. "Blood-whore things?"

"Like beating-her-up kinds of things" I gritted my teeth, remembering how bruised my mother had looked after his visits.

"Oh God" Rose squeezed my hands "That's _horrible_. And she…she just let it happen?"

"She did" I admitted, smiling sadly "But _I _didn't"

"Tell me, _tell me_ you beat the crap out of him" Rose begged excitedly.

"I did" I told her, rather proudly.

"Wow. You beat up your dad" Only Rose would think that was awesome "I mean, that's really horrible…what happened. But, _wow_. You really _are_ a god."

_What is she talking about now?_ Daemon asked.

_I'm… a god? Really? That is so freaking awesome!_

_The fact that you enjoy impressing her is scary._

I blinked "What?"

"Uh, nothing" Rose changed the subject, blushing "How old were you?"

"Thirteen" I said absent-mindedly.

"You beat up your dad when you were _thirteen_?"

"It wasn't that hard" I said modestly "I was stronger than he was, almost as tall. I couldn't let him keep doing that. He had to learn that being royal and Moroi doesn't mean you can do anything you want to other people—even blood whores"

"I'm sorry" Rose repeated.

"It's all right" I shrugged. Then she gasped again.

"That's why you got so upset about Jesse, isn't it?" She guessed.

_Uh… sure. That._

"He was another royal, trying to take advantage of a dhampir girl"

_Trying?_ Daemon rolled his eyes. _The dhampir girl was helping._

"I got upset over that for a lot of reasons. After all, you were breaking the rules, and…" I trailed off.

…_and my psychic Grandma says that I love you. Maybe I do. I'd rather not. It would be easier if I didn't._

_P-E-D-O-P-H-I-L-E!!!! _Daemon shrieked._ What language do I have to say it in? Chinese? I don't _know _Chinese! It wasn't included in the job description!_

"I know you heard what people are saying, that I—"

"I know it's not true" I assured her.

"Yeah, but how do you—"

"Because I know you" I told her, interrupting again "I know your character. I know you're going to be a great guardian."

Rose smiled – a real smile, not her usual sarcastic one "I'm glad _someone _does. Everyone else thinks I'm totally irresponsible"

"With the way you worry more about Lisa than yourself…" I shook my head "No. You understand your responsibilities better than guardians twice your age. You'll do what you have to do to succeed"

Rose cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "I don't know if I can do everything I have to do"

My eyebrow went up on its own – _maybe I should have it exorcised?_

"I don't want to cut my hair" She explained.

"You don't _have _to cut your hair" I told her "It's not required"

"All the other guardian women do. They show off their tattoos" Rose protested.

I took my large hands away from her bandaged ones – had I _really _been holding them for so long? – and grabbed a lock of her hair that had fallen from its ponytail, twisting it around one of my fingers.

Rose looked in my eyes, frozen. Even Daemon was quiet.

It was too good to last so long.

_Idiot! Move away! _Move away_, I tell you!_

_But…_

_It's _not_ optional!_

I pulled away, embarrassed "Don't cut it"

Rose blinked "But no one will see my tattoos if I don't"

I stood beside the doorway and smiled "Wear it up"

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Sunday. Blessed, _blessed _Sunday. I grinned as the phone began ringing.

"Hello?"

"Dimka!" Mom laughed.

"Hey, D" Sonya trilled.

"Hi, Dimitri" Karo greeted me.

"Yo, Belikov" Vicky said gruffly, teasing me. "'Sup, man?"

"Since when do I have a brother?" I asked "Mom? Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

The girls laughed.

"Now, let's get talking, shall we?" Sonya suggested "I _do_ have a life, you know. Plus, I wanna hear about Rose"

I blinked.

"And you, of course" She added hurriedly.

I sighed. _I cannot believe they haven't even met her and they're already best friends with her._

_Jealous, lover boy?_ Daemon grinned.

_You have sinned! On Sunday! Go pray, or something._ I shooed him away.

"Dimka…" Vicky prompted.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, Rose" And out spilled the horrible rumors, – which made Sonya curse like a sailor and get punished for a week - our conversation in the gym and… the way I'd told her to wear her hair up.

"Omigod!" Sonya shrieked.

"That's so sweet…" My mom sniffed.

Karo giggled "Aww…"

"Who would've known our Dimka could be so romantic?" Vicky asked.

"Hey!" I protested.

"Well, you've gotta admit that sweet-talking was never your strongest point" Karolina reminded me.

"Oh, yeah! I remember!" Sonya exclaimed.

"Remember when he told Gretchen Juski her lips were fat?" Vicky laughed "She didn't eat for days!"

"It was a _compliment_!"

Mother laughed "You made her cry, dear"

I huffed. "I thought these calls were to 'keep in touch,' not to annoy me to death"

"What's the difference?" Sonya teased.

I hung up.

Mass was… not as peaceful as it should've been. Why, you ask? Simple. Because a couple of (insert words that would get _me_ punished, too) were whispering and gossiping like two old ladies and laughing at Rose loudly.

She looked away.

_I hope they end up impaled by a ninja and then get thrown in a ditch with bullets up their mother-fucking asses, the sons of bitches…_

Their smiles faded under Lissa's glare.

"Tell her you're sorry" She ordered "And make sure she believes it"

The two creeps – and Daemon called _me_ uneducated! – stumbled into the aisle and dropped to their knees before Rose, begging for her forgiveness.

Both our mouths were open.

"That's the best you can do?" The Princess demanded.

_At least she's good at protecting Rose…_

"Liss! It's Ok. I, uh, accept their apologies" She shrugged. Lissa's angry glare softened and she slumped on her seat, her head in her hands.

Trying to distract herself, probably, Rose began scanning the crowd for familiar faces. And then I remembered – with some of Daemons prodding, of course – why I was there.

_Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned… mainly because of the improper thoughts I have been having lately. My student, Rose Hathaway, is starring in most of them. The others? I kill the people who bother her in those. Slowly and sadistically._

Her eyes lingered on me for a second before moving on to the rest of the students.

And church was over.

The next time I saw Rose, she was walking with Mason Ashford on her way to the gym. I had been about to go looking for her – yeah, she was _that _late.

"You know, I still don't approve of your whole hero thing, but you did scare them. That was almost worth it" She flirted.

_Hero thing? Flirting? Red alert!_

"But you don't approve?" He asked.

"No. I mean, it's hot in principle but not in practice" I choked a bit when I saw her fingers trailing up his arm.

Daemon opened one eye from his praying bench, raised an eyebrow at me, and went on with his rosary.

"The hell it isn't" He took her hand "Sometimes you need to be saved. I think you like being saved sometimes and just can't admit it"

Rose looked like she sincerely doubted that "And _I _think you get off on saving people and just can't admit it"

"I don't think you know what gets me off. Saving damsels like you is just the honorable thing to do" I gaped. Rose looked like she seriously wanted to slap him for that but instead smiled again.

_Aw. That would've been so much fun…_

"Then prove it. Do me a favor just because it's 'the right thing to do'" She shrugged.

"Sure" Mason answered quickly, looking like he would build a shrine at Rose's feet any moment "Name it"

_Kid, I am the only shrine builder here, got it?_

"I need you to get a message to Christian Ozera"

"What the—? You aren't serious" The puppy shook his head.

"Yes. Completely" Rose told him.

"Rose…I can't talk to him. You know that" He protested.

"I thought you said you'd help. I thought you said helping 'damsels' is the honorable thing to do"

"I don't really see how honor's involved here" Rose gave him THE patented Rosemarie Hathaway bring-a-man-to-his-knees-and-make-him-kiss-your-feet look. The one that was like a nuclear weapon, you know? Yeah, That one. Poor guy didn't stand a chance. "What do you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him I need St. Vladimir's books. The ones in storage. He needs to sneak them to me soon. Tell him it's for Lisa. And tell him…tell him I lied the night of the reception" Rose gulped. "Tell him I'm sorry"

"That doesn't make any sense" _I agree. But then, Rose never does, does she?_

"It doesn't have to. Just do it. Please?" He nodded and ran away.

No, Rose never _did _make much sense.

* * *

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	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Whatcha doing?" Rose asked in a singsong voice as she walked into the gym the next day.

_Practicing voodoo on Jesse Zeklos._

"Nothing" I lied smoothly.

"Was that a doll?" She asked, her eyebrows up in disbelief.

"Of course not" I scoffed. Rose shrugged.

"Well, it sure _looked _like one" She muttered.

_Gay men will go to hell,_ Daemon told me. _You don't want our Little Rose to think thaat about you, do you?_

_She's not our Rose, man. And she's not exactly little._

_She's seventeen!_ Daemon reminded me - as if I needed another reminder. _A mere child!_

_She is a young, responsible woman, our student and waiting for an answer. _I said firmly. _So go away._

"Get changed" I ordered, standing up. "You're late"

"Aren't you used to it by now?"

"No. Get dressed" I dead-panned. Rose rolled her eyes.

"_Fine_! Jeez…" She turned around and stalked into the dressing room only to come out five minutes later.

"Start stretching" I said, getting down to business. She did.

"So…" Rose began. I groaned "Dolls, huh?"

"Rose" I warned.

"Just making small talk" She said innocently.

_Since when does Rose make small talk?_ Daemon asked.

_Since Bush came to power. _I answered. _Both facts are weirdly unexplainable. _

"But, seriously, Dimitri" She began "Dolls? I mean, I can understand beads and stuff like that, but _dolls_?"

"Rosemarie Hathaway" I snapped "Fourteen laps"

"But I –"

"Fifteen" I amended. "Start running"

With a groan and a huff, Rose went outside. I followed behind her and sat on the ground.

"_What _are you doing?" She asked.

"I'll watch" I informed her "And count"

She began running. And me? I began enjoying myself. And I continued sticking needles into Jesse Zeklos.

_Did you know chocolate is as good as an orgasm?_ I asked Daemon. _Fun fact, isn't it? But it's scientifically correct._

_Then you should probably keep some in your pocket. _Daemon replied. _That way you'll be able to lock yourself in the bathroom with it every time Rose walks by._

_Hey!_

Rose chose that particular moment to go running by.

"Nine!" I shouted at her. She nodded in response.

_Chocolate…_ Daemon taunted.

_I don't need chocolate._ I informed him. _I have a pretty good memory._

_What?_

_And my imagination_, I continued_, is excellent._

Daemon sputtered.

And so, the voodoo continued. And Our Holy Mother had to listen to Daemon's whining about hell and pedophilia (he _had _to get over that) and my bad behaviour all over again.

* * *

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	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I nearly choked on the water I was drinking when I saw Lissa kissing some blonde-football-player-gets-all-Ds guy.

"Whoa. Easy there, comrade" Hank grinned, slapping my back "Just let it all out"

I swallowed "Oh, I'll let it out all right – all over your face"

"You sound like my ex did when she had PMS" He rolled his eyes.

"And you sound like my student when she says hi every day" I sighed and cleared my throat "So… Hank"

"You know, that was exactly what I used to say to girls before asking them out on a date" I hit him on the back of the head "Ok, Ok, Mr. Serious. What?"

"What's up with jock-ass and the Princess" I blurted.

_You sound like a third grader._ Daemon laughed.

_You sound like a prude._

"_Jock_-ass? That was golden, dude" Hank smiled "That's Aaron… something. Whatever. The point is, he and his girlfriend just broke up and… well, I think it's obvious who he's after _now_"

_Lissa? Really? How can she even… and her friend is… Rose is suffering so much… The selfish bitch! How dare she!_

Christian Ozera was glaring at them openly, the hatred on his face shocking. Yeah, he really _did _like her.

And Rose had seriously ruined it.

_Good for her. Blondie deserves it._

* * *

She was late for practice. Again.

That damned Rosemarie Hathaway…

I sighed and stalked out of the gym. She was in so much trouble.

And then I found her talking to Christian Ozera.

"Thanks for the books" She said awkwardly "The ones you gave to Mason"

_Books? For Mason?_

"Oh. I thought you meant the other books" He dead-panned.

"Aren't you gonna ask what they were for?" Rose prompted.

_Please do. Please._

"Your business" He shrugged "Just figured you were bored being suspended"

"I'd have to be pretty bored for _that_" She joked. It didn't work.

"What do you want, Rose? I've got places to be" He lied.

"I want you to, uh, hang out with Lissa again" Rose blurted. She blushed.

"Are you serious?" _Sure looks like it_ "After what you said to me?"

"Yeah, well…Didn't Mason tell you?…"

Christian sneered "He told me something"

"And?" Rose dragged the information out of him so slowly I had to sit down.

"And I don't want to hear it from Mason. You sent him to apologize for you. Step up and do it yourself"

_Not gonna happen soon._

"You're a jerk" Rose's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah. And you're a liar. I want to see you eat your pride" _The bastard._

"I've been eating my pride for two weeks" She snarled.

Christian turned around and left with a shrug.

"Wait!" Rose put her hand on his shoulder "All right, all right. I lied about how she felt. She never said any of that stuff about you, okay? She likes you. I made it up because _I _don't like you"

_Well, spank me and call me a monkey! This is a miracle!_

"And yet you want me to talk to her"

"I think…you might be… good for her" Rose gulped.

_God is good_. I did a happy dance.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. Can you repeat that?" Christian asked after a while.

"Will you stop it already? I want you to hang out with her again" Rose demanded, her fists clenched.

"No" Ozera shook his head.

"Look, I told you, I lied—" Rose began.

"It's not that. It's _her_. You think I can talk to her now? She's _Princess Lissa_ again" He spit. "I can't go near her, not when she's surrounded by all those royals."

"_You're_ royal too" Rose said softly.

"Doesn't mean much in a family full of Strigoi, huh?"

"But you're not—wait. That's why she connects to you" _Oh. A Rose-epiphany. Interesting._

"Because I'm going to become a Strigoi?" Ozera snorted.

"No…because you lost your parents too. Both of you saw them die" I flinched.

"She saw hers die. I saw mine murdered" Christian corrected bluntly.

It was Rose's turn to flinch "I know. I'm sorry, it must have been…well, I don't have any idea what it was like"

He looked off at her admission "It was like seeing an army of Death invade my house"

"You mean…your parents?" Rose cocked her head as she usually did when trying to understand.

Christian shook his head "The guardians who came to kill them. I mean, my parents were scary, yeah, but they still looked like my parents—a little paler, I guess. Some red in their eyes. But they walked and talked the same way. I didn't know anything was wrong with them, but my aunt did. She was watching me when they came for me"

_Tasha_. I was immediately paying more attention. She had never wanted to tell me her version of the story.

"Were they going to convert you? You were really little" Rose asked.

"I think they were going to keep me until I was older, then turn me. Aunt Tasha wouldn't let them take me. They tried to reason with her, convert her too, but when she wouldn't listen, they tried to take her by force. She fought them—got really messed up—and then the guardians showed up" The scars – they suddenly took on new meaning "Like I said, an army of Death. I think you're crazy, Rose, but if you turn out like the rest of them, you're going to be able to do some serious damage one day. Even _I _won't mess with you."

Rose frowned "Christian, I'm sorry for screwing things up between you and Lisa. It was stupid. She wanted to be with you. I think she still does now. If you could just—"

"I told you, I can't" He broke in.

"I'm _worried _about her" She protested "She's into all this royal stuff because she thinks it's going to get back at Mia—she's doing it for _me_"

"And you aren't grateful?"

"I'm worried" Rose repeated "She can't handle playing all these catty political games. It isn't good for her, but she won't listen to me. I could…I could use help"

The admission was as shocking as a sudden fire would've been. Actually, scratch that. Ozera was a fire user. So it was as shocking as a sudden giant Jell-O appearing would've been.

"_She _could use help. Hey, don't look so surprised—I know there's something funny going on with her. And I'm not even talking about…" Christian – damn him – lowered his voice to a hushed whisper as I strained to hear them.

Rose jumped, resembling a grasshopper "Did she tell you?"

"She didn't need to. I've got eyes" Christian sighed at Rose's puppy-dog face "Look, if I catch Lisa alone…I'll try to talk to her. But honestly…if you really want to help her…well, I know I'm supposed to be all anti-establishment, but you might get the best help talking to somebody else. Kirova. Your guardian guy. I don't know. Someone who knows something. Someone you trust"

_The guardian guy is trustworthy! Really! Tell him, girl!_

"Lissa wouldn't like that" Rose thought about it "Neither would I"

_Oh, shitballs._

"Yeah, well, we all have to do things we don't like. That's life" Huh. Christian was deep. Who knew?

"What are you, an after-school special?" Rose scoffed.

"If you weren't so psychotic, you'd be fun to hang around" He laughed.

_Unfortunately for the world, Hathaway's mind left her a long time ago. _Daemon added.

_Well… I think there's hope for her._

"Funny, I feel that way about you too" Rose grinned. I bit back a laugh and watched them go their separate ways before running off to the gym. We were having progress – which I was happy about.

But Rose was still late.

* * *

**Though love... the best kind. **

**Pfff.... exams are coming soon and I must write, write, write to upload as quikly as possible!**

**Question: WHAT IS AARON'S LAST NAME?**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 17

"Guardian Belikov!" I turned around to face Kirova.

"Yes, Headmistress?"

"I need you in my office" I nodded "Now"

Stifling a sigh, I rolled my eyes and followed her in. It was really far too early in the morning for me to properly deal with bitchiness. I really needed some coffee.

I nodded to Viktor Dashkov, who was sitting in a corner with two guardians – Ben and Spiridon – by his side.

"Prince Dashkov asked for my special permission to take his daughter and Princess Vasilisa off campus so they could go shopping before the upcoming dance" I really didn't see how that concerned me, but I still nodded "You, of course, would accompany the Princess"

Ah, I had forgotten. Of course.

"The issue is, Prince Dashkov told his daughter to invite two girls…" Kirova paused – she _really_ needed a lesson on how _not _to beat around the fucking bush "And she one of them is Rosemarie"

The bush was beaten. "I see"

"Prince Dashkov wanted your opinion on whether Rosemarie should be allowed to go" Kirova explained stiffly.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, Headmistress" I said slowly.

"Her behavior…"

"…has improved considerably" I broke in smoothly "And it would be an excellent opportunity for her to learn the basics of near and far guarding in a more realistic environment"

"I agree, with Guardian Belikov, Headmistress Kirova" Viktor added "It would be an educating experience, and it would help see how Rose and Guardian Belikov work together while guarding Vasilisa"

Kirova frowned "But –"

"Also, Rose is bound to do _something _for some freedom soon" I smiled "By taking her, we will be avoiding what could be a very destructive stunt in the near future"

"And the dance?" Kirova asked.

"Rose should, of course, be allowed to attend" Viktor stated "It is a very important event in the life of a teenager, isn't it, Guardian Belikov?"

"Indeed" I nodded "And, again, we would be avoiding yet another plan on Rose's behalf"

Kirova nodded thoughtfully.

"Very well," She sighed, rubbing her forehead "I will discuss this with Prince Dashkov some more. Thank you for your opinion, Guardian Belikov"

I was clearly dismissed. I nodded – I seemed to be doing that a lot lately – and headed towards the door like a drowning man towards a boat.

I was free. Thank God, and apparently, so was Rose, because after half a gallon of dark coffee and exactly a day, Kirova gave Rose the good news – she was in. Or out. It depends on how you look at it, really.

So when I met her on our way to the van that would take us to Missoula and – to my delight – saw that she was actually wearing her hair up, she was quite obviously grinning.

"Hey, Comrade!" She laughed "Thanks for springing me"

"I didn't actually spring you" I corrected her "I talked. It's something we civilized people do instead of shrieking and throwing punches and running away"

"Ouch. I'm hurt"

"And uncivilized" I reminded her. Rose giggled.

"Yeah, that too" She rolled her eyes.

"Headmistress Kirova thinks you've done well since coming back" I lied.

Rose didn't buy it for a second "Aside from starting a fight in Mr. Nagy's class?"

"She doesn't blame you for that" I shrugged "Not entirely. I convinced her you needed a break…and that you could use this as a training exercise"

_And you lied_, Daemon accused.

_Yes, I did. Of course I did. Get over it, prude._

"Training exercise?" I nodded and gave her a brief, to the point and dreadfully boring explanation of what we would be doing at the mall. Kirova would've been proud – and taking notes.

Viktor looked, if possible, even more sickly than he had two days ago. He looked eighty, twice his age, and his daughter blinked away tears at the sight of him. She gave her father a hug.

Now, I admire uncomplaining people. Mostly because I'm not one of them, but you get the idea. Viktor Dashkov, though – he was going above and beyond the call of duty. He had one foot on the grave and the other one not in bed, but in the mall with four giggly teens.

He was, in short, an idiot.

Rose began glaring at Stan as soon as we sat down and settled for the two-hour trip awaiting us.

"Camille and Natalie don't have personal guardians yet" I whispered in her ear, explaining. Spiridon, who sat on her other side, looked out the window absent-mindedly "They're both under the protection of their families' guardians. Since they are Academy students leaving campus, a school guardian accompanies them—Stan. I go because I'm Lisa's assigned guardian. Most girls her age wouldn't have a personal guardian yet, but circumstances make her unusual"

"She's supposed to have two guardians. Princes and princesses always do" Rose objected.

Spiridon grinned "Don't worry, she'll have plenty when the time comes. Dimitri's already one of them. Odds are you'll be one too. And that's why you're here today"

"The training part" Rose said.

"Yup. You're going to be Dimitri's partner" Bad choice of words.

_Impure thoughts! Impure thoughts! Red alert! Black code!_ Daemon shrieked madly. _Oh, for all that's Holy, would you stop thinking about her like that?_

_Your boner is every bit as big as mine, prick. So shut the fuck up._

_Go fuck yourself, _Daemon suggested meanly.

_I probably will – once we're in the bathroom._ I answered.

_Fornication is a sin!_

_Good God, to you everything is a sin! And God is a man, too! He has needs, just like the rest of us!_

"Guarding partners" I hated stating the obvious, but Rose nodded. Daemon then proceeded to scream obscenities at me about sinning and the apocalypse and who knows what else. I, of course, ignored him.

Who would've thought a demon would be _that _religious? I should've named him Angelo – though it _did _sound a bit gay. But he deserved it, so…

"Yup" Spiridon went on babbling about near guards and far guards and every unimaginative term Moroi had come up with to name the different rules of a guardian.

_Isn't there some kind of guardian rule that says that you cannot fuck your student? Or think about it?_ Daemon demanded.

_Well, there are laws prohibiting the first. As for the second one, every guy within sight of Rose considers it. And I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm a guy. Just like you._

"You'll probably always be near guard" I assured Rose "You're female and the same age as the princess. You can stay close to her without attracting any attention"

"And I can't ever take my eyes off her" She agreed "Or you"

Spiridon elbowed me in the ribs – hard. "You've got a star student there. Did you give her a stake?"

I really hated him for bringing that up then. It was a topic Rose and I frequently discussed and debated, but it was the one thing I was firm about "No. She's not ready"

"I would be if _someone _would show me how to use one" She hinted.

"More to it than just using the stake" I informed her "You've still got to subdue them. And you've got to bring yourself to kill them"

"Why _wouldn't _I kill them?" Rose was so naïve sometimes…

"Most Strigoi used to be Moroi who purposely turned. Sometimes they're Moroi or dhampirs turned by force. It doesn't matter. There's a strong chance you might know one of them. Could you kill someone you used to know?" I demanded. Rose's face fell.

"I guess so. I'd have to, right? If it's them or Lisa…"

"You might still hesitate" I reminded her "And that hesitation could kill you. And her"

"Then how do you make sure you don't hesitate?" Rose asked.

"You have to keep telling yourself that they _aren't _the same people you knew. They've become something dark and twisted. Something unnatural. You have to let go of attachments and do what's right. If they have any grain of their former selves left, they'll probably be grateful" I announced.

"Grateful for me killing them?" I was almost as shocked as Rose to think that she hadn't ever considered this.

"If someone turned you into a Strigoi, what would you want?" I demanded. Rose was oddly silent "What would you want if you knew you were going to be converted into a Strigoi against your will? If you knew you would lose all sense of your old morals and understanding of what's right and wrong? If you knew you'd live the rest of your life—your_ immortal_ life—killing innocent people? _What would you want_?"

"If I became Strigoi…I'd want someone to kill me" Rose said slowly.

I was so proud of her. And I realized that she, too, saw death and life like I did. She… understood. She really did. She took being a guardian seriously.

"So would I" I agreed.

I hadn't notice everyone had grown silent until Viktor Dashkov spoke. "It reminds me of Mikhail hunting Sonya"

_Oh. That._

"Who are Mikhail and Sonya?" Lissa asked.

Viktor looked about as surprised as I felt "Why, I thought you knew. Sonya Karp"

"Sonya Kar…you mean, Ms. Karp? What about her?"

"She…became Strigoi" Rose looked down "By choice"

I pressed my lips into a tight line, feeling nauseous.

"But I don't know who Mikhail is" Rose added.

"Mikhail Tanner" Spiridon told her.

"Oh. Guardian Tanner. He was here before we left. Why is he chasing Ms. Karp?" She frowned.

"To kill her" I dead-panned "They were lovers"

Rose gave a horrified gasp, though I didn't think she actually noticed. Lissa bit her lip.

"Perhaps it is time to talk about something else" Viktor suggested, noticing the atmosphere "Today isn't a day to dwell on depressing topics"

The tension dissolved into nothing as soon as we reached the entrance to the mall: JC Penney's. Lissa jumped in excitement and Natalie laughed.

Shopping was… an interesting experience. At least with girls. Sure, I'd gone with my sisters a couple of times, but these kids were millionaires.

A Hollister, Abercrombie and Nine West later, I felt like tearing my hair out.

"Dimitri?" Rose tapped my shoulder "How come all the other guardians get those black walkie-talkies and I don't?"

"You'll learn better without one" I told her, looking around. We were apparently in Macy's. Rose shook her head and began discussing clothes with Lissa. I tuned out.

Until Lissa squealed "This is the dress you were born for. I don't care how practical you are now"

She held a tiny black strip of silk in her hands. Rose looked at it with longing. "This is my dress"

_Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Sacred Shrine of the Little Black Dress! Over here, we can see Rose Hathaway, one of the most devout followers, admiring the dress on its pedestal and offering incense to it…_

"Try it on" Lissa suggested. And my mind instantly flew to Rose with the skimpy dress… and without it.

Daemon gagged.

_You know, Angelo, this is getting old._ I commented.

_Angelo?! _He gaped. _Damn you to the deepest pits of hell, you sick masochistic pedophile forgotten by God…_

"I can't. It would compromise you. One dress isn't worth your grisly death" Rose shook her head. I sighed as Daemon proceeded to mentally slap me on the head. I wasn't too sure about the dress-on-Rose-not-worth-Lissa's-death thing, but it was time to move on.

And I did. I quickly went to Victoria's Secret. Now, while that might not have been such a good idea (every picture I saw of scantily clothed women was substituted by a better-looking Rose in my mind), I still managed to buy what I wanted and get out.

And no, I did _not _buy pictures of nearly-naked lingerie models. I merely considered it.

I also considered getting them off the internet and using Photoshop to…

But I digress.

We got to the last store – which sold jewelry – and I really considered throwing my arms up in the air and yelling 'Freedom!' But I didn't. Which was good.

"Here you go" Lissa said suddenly "The necklace made to go with your dress"

Rose took one peek inside the case her best friend pointed to and frowned "I _hate_ rose stuff"

Lissa sighed when she read the price tag, making Hathaway laugh "Oh, look at that. Even _you_ have limits. Your crazy spending is stopped at last"

A few minutes later we were all tucked away safely inside the warm van. I could've cried for joy. And for coffee.

The girls began falling asleep one by one.

"So, I can't ever try on clothes again?" Rose whispered.

"When you aren't on duty, you can. You can do it during your time off" I assured her.

"I don't ever want time off. I want to always take care of Lisa" She yawned "Did you see that dress?"

"I saw the dress" I'd be damned if I hadn't.

"Did you like it?" I wisely abstained from answering that yes, I actually had. A lot "Am I going to endanger my reputation if I wear it to the dance?"

_That _I couldn't swallow "You'll endanger the _school_"

Rose smiled and closed her eyes – and also didn't open them again for quite a while. After fifteen minutes, I took off my coat and wrapped it over her. She sighed happily and rested her head on my shoulder.

Needless to say, I was sad when we got to the school's gates and Rose woke up. I climbed off the van and saw her stretch.

"Back to prison" She sighed, walking besides Lissa "Maybe if you fake a heart-attack I can make a break for it"

Lissa laughed "Without your clothes?"

Rose took the bag she was offered and twirled like a little girl, something I had seen Viktoria do several times. I smiled.

"I can't wait to see the dress" The princess confided.

"Me either. If they let me go. Kirova's still deciding if I've been good enough" _Still deciding, eh? More like increasing the suspense._

"Show her those boring shirts you bought. She'll go into a coma. I'm about ready to" Lissa complained. Rose hopped on a bench, laughing again. She got to the end and hopped back down.

"They aren't _that _boring" She protested.

"I don't know what to think of this new, responsible Rose"

The new, responsible Rose hopped on another bench "I'm not that responsible"

Spiridon grinned "Hey, you're still on duty. No fun allowed up there"

"No fun here! I swear—shit" At the end of the third bench, Rose disappeared.

I knelt beside her unconscious body, fear shooting up me when I looked at her ankle. "Oh, God"

_Rose? Rose!_

**Awww... Poor Darling Dimka! Care to cheer him up? REVIEW!!!!!!**

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* * *


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 18

"Rose? Hathaway, please…" I begged, kneeling down next to her. "Please"

I could feel people talking around me, screaming, someone calling for help. I slammed my fist into the bench repeatedly, freeing her foot. I lifted Rose up into my arms and stood up, clutching her tight. Tears were on her cheeks.

"Rose?" Her eyes fluttered. "Rose! Oh, thank God…"

"It hurts" She protested weakly "It must be broken… Dimitri"

Seeing her cry like that was heartbreaking. Even Daemon was moved. I began walking towards the infirmary; the rest of the group was far behind us. I wiped her tears away, remembering how my mother would comfort my sisters.

"Shhh. Rose. It's Ok to cry" I whispered, not making much sense "Shhh"

She sobbed "I can't… it hurts… what about practice?"

_Practice?_

I hadn't realized I had spoken until she nodded. "Oh, Rosie. It doesn't matter"

_Rosie? That's new._

"Dimitri" She moaned "Dimitri… no, oh, God. I have to go… practice… I can't miss it…"

"Rose…"

"I can't! I can't miss practice! I can't, oh, no, no, no" She sobbed.

By the time Dr. Olendski opened the door for us, Rose had begun screaming. And screaming. Did I mention she was screaming? Yeah. Her lungs, at least, seemed to be quite healthy at the moment. Note: Rose probably had _huge_ lungs.

The doctor's eyes widened as soon as she saw Rose. "Lay her down on that cot. Her ankle's either broken or sprained. I'll have to get some X-rays"

She hustled out of the room as I set Rose on the tiny bed gently. She looked so fragile… there was even a bit of blood on her cheek. I sighed and fussed over her a bit more until Lissa came in, panting.

"Rose!" She cried, sitting at the foot of the bed and clutching the blankets tightly. "Oh, Rose"

Even asleep (or unconscious), the sound of her best friend's voice soothed Rose into stopping her tears. I couldn't help but be jealous. She had done what I hadn't been able to.

Dr. Olendski came back in. "No X-rays. She looks pretty bad. I'll just… hey. Why isn't she crying and screaming anymore? Did she black out?"

"She's asleep" I said "She calmed down as soon as Lissa sat by her"

"I don't think she's that hurt" Lissa frowned "Actually, she seems fine to me"

Dr. Olendski leaned in to take a better look while I watched skeptically. Rose was hurt – there was no doubt about it _at all_. And then the doctor gasped.

"You're right! She's not hurt at all" She exclaimed "It must be mere shock…"

"Are you sure?" I asked, stepping in for a closer look. The women were right – there was just a thin red line around her ankle.

"I'll go get some cream" Dr. Olendski muttered, turning to Lissa "Princess, you should go rest. Rose will be fine, I will care for her"

Lissa turned to me with worried eyes "I will keep watch too, princess. And I will call you when she wakes up"

She nodded, sighed, and trudged away sleepily. And then… she returned. "Guardian Belikov… I forgot. Viktor said he had to go, but he wanted to give this to Rose"

I nodded and took the small golden box Lissa gave me, setting it on her bedside table. Lissa smiled gratefully and left again. She didn't return this time.

Dr. Olendski forced a smile "Belikov… will you watch her for me? I haven't had breakfast yet…"

"I don't mind" I said quickly "I'll stay until she wakes up"

The doctor's eyebrows flew up. "I have a book"

She seemed satisfied at my explanation, gave Rose what she claimed was pain medication and walked out the door hurriedly. She was probably starving. But that didn't matter – nothing mattered, _nothing_ – until I could see Rose up and about, smiling and laughing again.

_Stalker._ Ah, Daemon was back.

_I am merely caring for the sick._

I did not actually _have_ a book. So I sat and waited, doing exactly what I had said I would do: watching Rose. I memorized the shape of her face, every strand of color in her hair soon became as familiar as my own. And every time – _every single time_ – I would get amazed at her all over again.

Was Yeva right? At that moment, as I sat so peaceful with her deeply asleep, I couldn't help but think maybe she was.

Perhaps I shouldn't have. Daemon was screaming. So I pushed him into his chapel and was alone with Rose. Just me and her. The way it should be. The way it should _always_ be.

Her eyes fluttered and I looked at my clock – she had been out for a few hours. _Hours_. And I hadn't even noticed.

"Rose"

She turned her head and looked me in the eye. "Hey"

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Weird. Kind of groggy" She groaned.

"Dr. Olendski gave you something for the pain – you seemed pretty bad when we brought you in" I explained.

"I don't remember that" Marvelous. She wouldn't remember the 'Rosie' bit, then "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours" I shrugged.

"Must have been strong. Must still be strong" She wiggled her toes and frowned "I don't hurt at all"

"No, because you weren't seriously injured" I told her.

"Are you sure? I remember… the way it bent. No. Something must be broken. Or at least sprained" Rose protested, sitting up to inspect her ankle.

"Be careful" I warned, wanting to lean over and steady her.

"God, I got lucky. If I'd hurt it, it would've put me out of practice for a while" I couldn't hold back my smile.

"I know. You kept telling me that while I was carrying you. You were very upset" She frowned.

"You… you carried me here?" _Yes. And I actually enjoyed the experience – or at least I would've if I hadn't been too close to a heart attack for my liking – we should do it again sometime._

"After we broke the bench apart and freed your foot" I answered. _We? More like I. Oh, well. Whatever. Let's share the credit, D._

Rose smacked herself on the forehead and groaned "I was taken down by a bench"

"What?"

"I survived the whole day guarding Lisa, and you guys said I did a good job. Then, I get back here and meet my downfall in the form of a bench. Do you know how embarrassing it is? And all those guys saw, too" She explained.

"It wasn't your fault. No one knew the bench was rotted. It looked fine" I defended her.

"Still. I should have just stuck to the sidewalk like a normal person. The other novices are going to give me shit when I get back" True. But since when was Rosemarie Hathaway a normal person?

"Maybe presents will cheer you up" I suggested. Rose's back straightened and she grinned.

"Presents?" I smiled at her childish excitement.

"This is from Prince Viktor" I handed her the small box and she took a brief note out of it, reading it quickly.

"That's nice of him" She smiled before taking out a golden rose necklace with diamonds encrusted all over it. "Whoa. _Very_ nice"

She held it to the light and watched it sparkle, frowning. "This is pretty extreme for a get-well present"

"He actually bought it in honor of you doing so well on your first day as an official guardian. He saw you and Lisa looking at it" I guessed.

"Wow. I don't think I did _that_ good of a job"

"I do" I volunteered

Rose set the necklace down on the table and smiled impishly "You did say 'presents,' right? Like more than one?"

I laughed. "This is from me"

Rose's surprise faded her grin into a small smile as she took the plain white bag I handed her. I really didn't think giving her something in a Victoria's Secret bag would look too good, so I had gotten one in a random store and placed my gift in it.

She opened the box and gasped as she took the small tube of lip gloss out.

"How'd you manage to buy this? I saw you the whole time at the mall" While I _had _expected a different reaction, she was looking at the gloss adoringly, so…

"Guardian secrets" I answered smugly.

"What's this for? For my first day?" She guessed.

"No" I shrugged "Because I thought it would make you happy"

I had. Rose had been complaining about how she was running out for the past two weeks. And I couldn't let that happen, could I? God forbid her not to have lipstick. Women.

She threw her arms around me, and the expression of shocked wonder on her face was worth every penny. "Thank you"

Daemon squeaked. I was shocked enough to put my arms around her. At least she had liked the present. "I'm glad you're better. When I saw you fall…"

"You thought 'wow, she's a loser'" Rose laughed.

I pulled back to look at her "That's not what I thought"

And then I, the biggest idiot of all the fucking goddamned idiots on Earth – something Daemon definitely agrees with me about – involuntarily reached out and touched Rose's face.

Let me defend myself by saying that, first of all, IT WAS INVOLUNTARY. I swear. And then I reached up and wound a lock of her long hair around my finger.

Rose shivered, her eyes staring at my… lips? Yeah, I guess they were. She swallowed and met my eyes. I, too, had been thinking of kissing her.

Which, as Daemon shrieked at me, was a really idiot-worthy idea. I agreed.

Someone knocked softly and Rose leaned away from me like I was on fire. Maybe I was. I sure wasn't thinking coherently enough to notice. And I did feel like I was burning, so…

Dr. Olendski tiptoed in and smiled when she saw Rose wasn't looking like one of the living dead anymore.

"I thought I heard you talking. How do you feel?" She asked, making Rose lie back down and inspecting her ankle carefully "You're lucky. With all the noise you made coming in here, I thought your foot had been amputated. Must have just been shock. I'd feel better if you sat out from your normal trainings tomorrow, but otherwise, you're good to go"

Rose sighed in relief but looked a bit embarrassed at the same time. "Can I go now?"

Dr. Olendski nodded and left us alone again. I really did not think this was a good idea, and it didn't show a lot of good judgment on her part (plus, Daemon's screaming wasn't helping any) so I quietly handed Rose her shoes and coat, which had somehow been taken off in all the chaos.

She flushed, probably remembering what had just happened, and slipped one of her shoes on. "You have a guardian angel"

Daemon scoffed at my comment. Of course she does! Everyone does! Even you, you psychopathic creep! Jeez, didn't you learn your Catechism, I swear…

"I don't believe in angels. I believe in what I can do for myself" I had to admit that I did agree, in a way. But Daemon's shouts of 'heathen!' were enough to stifle my thoughts.

"Well then, you have an amazing body" Rose looked up at me, her face a question mark "For healing, I mean. I heard about the accident…"

"Everyone said I shouldn't have survived. Because of where I sat and the way the car hit the tree. Lisa was really the only one in a secure spot. She and I walked away with only a few scratches" Rose shrugged.

"And you don't believe in angels or miracles" I stated.

"Nope. I—" She trailed off and gasped. She wore her 'epiphany face,' the one that I got when I solved a difficult riddle or problem.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Rose, as usual, ignored me.

"Where's Lissa? Was she here?" She wondered urgently.

"I don't know where she is. She wouldn't leave your side while I brought you in. She stayed right next the bed, right up until the doctor came in. You calmed down when she sat next to you" I answered, puzzled. Rose closed her eyes, grimacing.

And then they flew open. And guess what? She wasn't fucking blinking. _Again_.

This was really growing to be a bother.

"Rose?" I put my arms on her shoulders and got no reaction "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Not again! Rose? Aw, come _on_!"

The noise drew Dr. Olendski in "What is going on here?"

"She's in Lissa's head. Because of the bond. I have to get her out" I explained hastily.

We will now fast forward through about twenty minutes of frustrated fear an helplessness up to where I began shaking Rose, ok? Good.

"Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose, Rose!" She blinked. Excellent.

"I know where she is" She croaked "Lissa. We have to help her"

_Oh, shitholes._

* * *

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	18. Chapter 18

"She's in the attic above the chapel – where all the books are stored. She's in danger" Rose said as tonelessly as before. Now, while I was worried about Lissa (though she was a huge bitch sometimes) I was honestly more… preoccupied about my student's mentor health.

But protecting weak-bitch was my job.

_This is terribly entertaining…_ Daemon drawled.

_Oh, go find a bathroom and get some _relief_ already! Then maybe you'll stop messing around in my goddamned head!_

"I'll go get Alberta" I said quickly, snapping into action. The afore-mentioned (what? I like big words!) woman answered her phone on the first ring as I ran towards the chapel.

"Hello?"

"Alberta. I need you in the chapel. Now" I panted.

"But…" I rolled my eyes.

"It's an emergency" I stressed, knowing that would get her there in a matter of minutes. I, myself, was trying to find the best way to break down the door when she arrived.

_Punch or kick? Mmmm…_

I punched it repeatedly and burst into the dank room to find Lissa on the floor, blood all around her – and over her. Red marks were on her wrists, the cause of the bleeding, and she was clearly unconscious.

Alberta gasped. "Good God"

"We have to get her to the clinic" I groaned, lifting the blonde into my arms. It was definitely not as awesome or devastating as carrying Rose, I soon found out. I felt a bit… indifferent to Lissa. Rose could die for her – which would be useless because I would kill her for making it happen afterwards – and she was far too nice for my liking. Besides, who in their right mind slits their wrists?

_Taking one's life is a sin,_ Daemon sniffed. _But I have to admit I like Lissa better than Rose. She's more polite – and she goes to Mass, which you should definitely try sometime._

_I go to Mass!_

_And you don't listen, bone-head. You just sit there and stare at Rosemarie, like the obsessive_ _and creepy stalker you are and have probably always been!_

_Rose is a great influence. Shut up._

Dr. Olendski gasped and immediately made me lay Lissa down on a vacant cot. "Elaine, get me a feeder!"

The nurse responded to the shrieking by taking up the phone and a few minutes later a middle-aged woman stood wearily in the room.

That, unfortunately, was the easy part. Getting Lissa conscious was not so simple. Believe me, we tried everything. Even ice water. The fucking girl simply refused to wake up. Elaine fixed the problem by letting a loud, high-pitched girly scream rip out of her throat.

After getting some much-needed blood into Lissa, a tiny tornado called Dr. Olendski went around madly, opening and shutting drawers while yelling orders to Elaine at the top of her lungs – the nurse happened to be three feet away and had to cover her ears. I, along with Rose, was banished from the chaotic room and made to stand outside.

As soon as she was stable – which seemed to take a while because, thought I was dead on my feet, no one would let me go to sleep – Rose clawed her way into her best friend's room, only to come out about five minutes afterwards.

What really woke me up was the fact that a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and she surreptitiously wiped it away.

They had fought. Which confirmed my theory about Lissa's spoiled bitchiness.

Rose left. I stayed – against my will – until Dr. Olendski was thoughtful enough to look my way and order some rest.

I was more than happy to comply.

My morning practice with Rose came far too soon for my liking. I gulped down five (or six?) cups of black coffee and got there late.

Yeah. I was beat.

"How's Lissa?" Rose asked as soon as I came into view.

_Good morning to you, too. I'm fine today, thanks for asking. Aside from the fact that I only got three hours' worth of sleep because I had to watch over the blonde idiot you dare to call your friend, of course.._

"They're putting her on some pills" I explained "For depression. But she was released from the clinic this morning"

Rose nodded thoughtfully. She kept a silence as unbreakable as Lissa's was to her during the rest of the day. People everywhere shied away from her like she was some kind of leper, and the 'blood whore' whispers began again. Lissa wasn't doing much better (actually, she was, but it sounds more dramatic this way, right?) – her visit to the clinic had gotten out somehow – but for some reason, I didn't give a shark's ass.

Go figure.

To make my day even better (did anyone catch the sarcasm?) Hank decided to sit next to me during our lunch break and began relating all the insane rumors the students had cooked up. Abortion, Viktor's disease and running-away theories were ever so popular. A scene had to happen.

And it did. After Rose's last class finished, Mia made a bee-line for her, a smile on her demonic face. I could smell a catfight from across the room.

Rose took one look at her and continued stuffing her books in her bag as quickly as she could. "What do you want? I can't come out and play today, little girl"

And _that_ was why I liked her better than Lissa. "You sure have an attitude for someone who doesn't exist right now"

"As opposed to _you_?" Rose scoffed.

"She got rid of you and you're too high and mighty to admit it. Don't you want to get back at her?" I stifled my laughter. Rose looked seriously pissed – Mia was clearly looking for an ally in the wrong place.

"Are you more psycho than usual?" She asked, leaving the room "She's my best friend. And _why_ are you still following me?"

_Ooh. Stalker!_

"She doesn't act like it" Mia pointed out truthfully "Come on, tell me what happened at the clinic. It's something big, isn't it? She really is pregnant, right? Tell me what it is"

"Go away" Rose ordered through clenched teeth.

"If you tell me, I'll get Jesse and Ralf to say they made all that stuff up" Mia offered. She had no idea she had probably just signed her death warrant.

Rose stopped walking, and I'm gonna go on a hunch and guess that Mia finally caught on, because she took a step back as soon as Hathaway turned around.

_Off with her head, Rosie!_

"I already know they made it all up because I didn't _do_ any of it. And if you try to turn me against Lissa one more time, the stories are going to be about _you_ bleeding because I'll have ripped your throat out!" Rose shouted.

"You really are crazy" Mia gasped "No wonder she dropped you. Whatever. I'll find out what's going on without you"

So it goes.

The next week dragged by while every girl in the school became devoted to talking about dresses, hairdos, shoes – I had known it would happen all long. Growing up with three sisters, it didn't take a genius to figure it all out.

I knew far too much about women's daily rituals for my liking.

Rose, however, didn't appear to be one, because not a word about the dance crossed her lips. Not one. I checked, double-checked and actually asked about it several times before she managed to spit out a 'shut _up_, dammit!' at me. I took that as a 'no, I am not going'.

So I kind of… sort of… invited Alberta.

I was that desperate. Thankfully, I was bluntly rejected by her informing me that, as my boss, she had arranged my schedule and I would be too busy being a chaperone to actually _dance_ – let alone do so with her.

And, having just read that, you might understand why I was shockingly shocked to see Mason leading Rose by the arm on the way to the dance. Suddenly, Alberta – who was standing next to me as we patrolled the grounds – began looking less and less like a relatively attractive woman and more like an old hag.

So it goes.

Rose, on the other hand, did not have that problem. The dress was as clingy as my ex-girlfriend, and it didn't exactly leave a lot to the imagination.

_And God made the most gorgeous woman in the world and stuffed her into a tiny dress. And it was good._

"Mr. Ashford, Miss Hathaway" Alberta greeted them "I'm surprised you aren't already in the commons.

"Got delayed, Guardian Petrov. You know how it is with girls. Always got to look perfect" Not that Rose needed to try "You especially must know all about that"

Speaking of roses, a particularly good-looking one was eyeing me suggestively at the moment. I had put on my best tuxedo and actually combed my hair – something Karolina had shown me how to properly do when I reached the seventh grade and girls began chasing me.

I looked good. But Rose looked far, far better.

She looked so damn eatable, in fact, that I wasn't able to form a coherent sentence (one that did not involve the word sex, that is) until Alberta led me away and I shook my head.

Rose had been quiet all along.

She didn't seem to stay that way too long because, a short time after, Kirova kindly called me on my cell phone to shriek that there was trouble with Hathaway and I needed to go there now.

I went. And can you guess what I say when I got there? Rose giving a punch that would've gotten her a standing ovation in class to Mia. Right in the nose.

The best part was the little crunching sound her fist made when it broke the bone. Oh, yeah.

She managed to sneak another good punch in before two guardians took her by the arms and began leading her away. While I did not doubt Rose's ability to take them, she seemed peacefully resigned.

_We are all doomed,_ Daemon spat. _A flying pig will go by any moment now. I must pray._

I agreed.

"Christian!" Rose shrieked suddenly. Tasha's nephew looked up. "Go after her. Hurry"

Ozera sat there like the idiotic moron Rose probably considered him. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Go, you idiot!"

I assumed the 'her' Rose had referred to was Lissa – somehow, she was always getting into trouble for her – because only a man in love could've possibly gotten up and run that fast.

Ah, the romance of it all.

Rose was soon locked away into her room under the matron's watchful eye. So, since clearly nothing entertaining was gonna happen soon (how boring these modern Headmistresses are! My old one was a blast!) I went back to my room, peeled off my tux, showered quickly and holed up on my bed with a nice book.

Peaceful moments like that don't last too long in my world.

Someone was beating the living daylights out of my door, and, boy, they were gonna _pay_. I nearly puked from shock when I saw Rose standing there.

"Rose?"

"Let me in. It's Lissa" She ordered. At that, I clearly had no choice but to step aside.

Did I? No, of course I didn't. Daemon clearly disagreed, considering the way he began slamming his head into the wall at my stupidity.

"What's wrong?" I demanded. Rose didn't appear to be in a condition to volunteer information – she was staring at my bare chest too intently for that.

Daemon blushed like a girl. Rose? Yeah. I will bet you anything you cannot guess what she did next.

She tried to kiss my chest.

Daemon/Angelo fainted, quiet for once in their/his life. I gaped.

"Rose! What are you doing?" I asked stupidly.

"What do you think?" She asked, rolling her eyes and lunging in again.

I held out my hands "Are you drunk?"

She laughed harshly "Don't I wish"

At the moment, so did I. However, I would like to say that I am clearly innocent in the situation. I mean, how can I be blamed for a sexy teen sneaking into my room whilst sober? I was only reading a fucking book! I did nothing to provoke her!

Ok, so I touched her hair… and hugged her… twice. That was it. I swear!

Rose looked vulnerable for just a moment "I thought you wanted to – don't you think I'm pretty?"

I refused to answer that question "Rose, I don't know what's going on, but you need to go back to your room"

She tried to get to me again and I grabbed her wrists. Uh-oh. Did you see that? That was my sanity jumping out the window, ladies and gentlemen.

I moved my hands up her arms, finally able to touch her exactly how I wanted to. I pulled her to me and gently brought my lips to hers.

It was the best goddamned experience on this fucking planet. Rose gulped "Do you think I'm pretty?"

"I think you're beautiful" I assured her.

"Beautiful?" I nodded.

"You're so beautiful, it hurts me sometimes"

And we kissed. And, to quote the Bible once more, it was good. So I did what any guy would've done: I slid off her dress and tossed it on the floor, then drew back to look at her.

"You… you got rid of that dress fast" Rose panted "I thought you liked it"

"I do. I love it"

And I gathered Rose up and took her straight to my bed. Odds were, she would not get off it anytime soon.


	19. Chapter 19

Slipping Rose's underwear off was the highlight of my day. And kissing her bare skin helped improve the moment _a lot_.

So one might understand that I actually considered everything was a dream for some moments – after all, I am _not _a lucky man, and Daemon was oddly absent – before I decided to doom myself to hell and enjoy the moment.

I did. I like to think Rose was having fun, too.

"Did you really kill six Strigoi?" She had wondered breathlessly at one point. I nodded "Wow"

"Don't worry" I buried my face in her neck "You'll have a lot more than me someday"

"Do you feel guilty about it?"

"Hmm?" I frowned.

"Killing them. You said in the van that it was the right thing to do, but it still bothers you. It's why you go to church, isn't it? I see you there but you aren't really into the services" She cocked her head and I smiled.

"How do you know these things?" I shook my head, amazed "I'm not guilty exactly… just sad sometimes. All of them used to be human or dhampir or Moroi. It's a waste, that's all, but as I said before, it's something I have to do. Something we all have to do. Sometimes it bothers me, and the chapel is a good place to think about those kinds of things. Sometimes I find peace there, but not often"

Rose nodded.

"I find more peace with you" And I kissed her again.

I smiled at her, slid my hands behind her neck and took off Viktor's necklace. I laid it down on the bedside table… and stopped dead on my tracks.

_PEDOPHILEBASTARDJERKIDIOTJACKASSASSHOLESHITTYCREEPYSTALKEROFHELL! WHATISYOURFUCKINGPROBLEM?_ Daemon was back – his voice sounded ever so far way, but he was back.

Rose gasped "What happened?"

"I… I don't know" She answered, crumpling her eyes.

_You idiot! Can't you guess? Didn't Tasha teach you all she knew about charms?_ Daemon demanded angrily.

I frowned, trying to remember. _A lust charm? No, it can't be._

_Yes it can. It's what made me go quiet while you sinned shamefully. _He sniffed. _Try me. Pick it up again. You'll lose control – unless you can manage to get it away from you._

I took the necklace in my hand and became an animal again. I slid my hand into Rose's hip and began leaning towards her.

_I need you… I want you… God, I want you so bad…_

"Lissa" Rose whispered "I have to tell you something about Lissa. But I can't… remember…. I feel so strange…"

I rested my hot forehead on her smooth cheek "I know. There's something… something here"

_Tasha? What did Daemon say about Tasha?_

"This necklace. That's the one Prince Viktor gave you?" Rose nodded.

So I did what I always do – I took a deep breath and pushed myself away from temptation. "What are you doing? Come back…"

Her request nearly made me cave in. Nearly being the key word in the sentence. Rose suddenly blinked furiously and unconsciously covered herself with the sheets.

_Ouch. I'm hurt._

I opened the window and the cold air cleared my head. Tasha… The knowledge she had shared with me so many years ago slammed back. The necklace had to go as soon as possible.

"What are you going to–?" I heard Rose spring out of bed "No! Do you know how much that must've–"

The gold and diamond rose flew out the window and smashed against the ground unharmed. Rose was right, it was valuable. I would have to find it and give it back to her later.

She whimpered and then gasped "Lissa!"

_I am proud of you._ Daemon said solemnly. _But you're still an idiotic pedophile._

I turned to look at Rose – who was probably in Lissa's head again – and nodded. _Yep. But she'd turn anyone into a creep, wouldn't she?_

_Probably._

"She was in the attic above the chapel with Christian Ozera when some guardians burst in" Rose frowned "They hurt him and took her away… She's with Prince Viktor. Lissa's in danger. I can tell"

I began pulling on my clothes and tossed Rose a sweatshirt "Get dressed"

I didn't even look at her – I couldn't. I'd just mess up the bed again. So I ran and ran, I ran until the shouted news caused chaos among the guardians. Someone left to retrieve Christian, wanting to verify Rose's story. Calls were made, people arrived and Kirova threw u from the excitement. Did I mention she did so all over Hank's shoes?

Yeah.

Rose began shouting for everyone to hurry up and fucking do something because her goddamned best friend was getting the hell away with a mother fucking son of a bitch. Her vocabulary was as colorful as the rainbow.

And then Ozera arrived with a bleeding head.

"How many Strigoi were there?" Gunther Dallas asked Rose.

"How in the world did they get in?" Kirova wondered.

"Wh – There weren't any Strigoi" Rose corrected.

"Who else would've taken her? You must have seen it wrong through the… vision" Kirova guessed.

"No. I'm positive… it was… they were… guardians" Rose stuttered, holding her head in her hands.

"She's right" Ozera gave a tiny squeak as Dr. Olendski touched his head "Guardians"

"That's impossible" Hank rolled his eyes.

"They weren't school guardians" Rose explained tiredly "Will you guys get moving? She's getting farther away!"

_Good_. I thought. Daemon looked up from his prayers and shook his head at me.

"You're saying that a group of privately retained guardians came in and kidnapped her?" Kirova asked skeptically.

"Yes. They…" Rose trailed off and got the lookee-here-Dimka-I'm-dead look in her eyes. Everyone waited for her to go on. She blinked and shook her head in amazement "They work for Viktor Dashkov. They're his"

_Oh, no. Not good._

"Prince Viktor Dashkov?" Gunther accompanied the statement with a very un-gay-like snort. Yeah. He was gay. Deal with it.

"Please. Do something! They're getting so far away" Rose begged "They're on… Eighty-three. Headed South"

"Eighty-three! How long ago did they leave? Why didn't you come here sooner?" Kirova demanded, her hands on her hips.

Rose took her head out of her hands and looked up at me, trusting me to find the answer to our problem.

_Do not lie. Lies work better when they have a grain of truth. Half-lies are the best. _I thought.

_Sinner_. Daemon spit.

_I might be a sinner, but I refuse to go to jail._ I answered. _And besides, we have to protect Rose. We should always protect Rose._

_Yes._ He agreed reluctantly. _We should._

"A compulsion spell" I answered "A compulsion spell put into a necklace he gave her. It made her attack me"

"No one can use that kind of compulsion. No one's done so in ages!" Kirova exclaimed. It was like the first day lecture all over again.

"Well, someone _did_" I pointed out "By the time I'd restrained her and taken the necklace, a lot of time had passed"

Everyone nodded and I sighed mentally in relief. Excellent.

"Let's go" Someone suggested. I nodded.

"Can _I_ come?" Rose asked hopefully.

"No" Everyone chorused.

I considered it "She could lead us to the Princess"

At that, no one could refuse. Rose trailed anxiously behind me and tugged on my arm. "Dimitri?"

"What?" I asked brusquely.

"The necklace… what was it?" She asked.

"It really _was_ a compulsion spell" I told her "But it was a lust spell"

"_Lust spell_?"

"It was a type of magic earth users used to practice but never do anymore" I answered, leaving it at that.

We climbed into the dark SUV, Rose sitting in the passenger seat to give me directions. Alberta sat directly behind us, Hank babbling nervously beside her.

He was the only one speaking.

"They're still on Eighty-three" Rose reported "But their turn is coming. They aren't speeding. They don't want to get pulled over"

I didn't even look at her – Daemon would've gone at my head with a chainsaw – but I still nodded and pressed the pedal harder.

"They're turning" Rose announced a few minutes afterwards "I can't see the road name, but I'll know when we're close"

I grunted and Rose sank slowly into her seat, her cheeks as red as they would ever get. I mentally sighed.

_This is so awkward._

_I know._

"There" Rose pointed to a tiny dirt trail leading off the highway. Daemon had been quite civilized for the past twenty minutes, which I was eternally grateful for. Maybe there really _was_ a God.

The car bumped along the road as quickly as I could make it go.

"They're turning again" Rose stopped and then proceeded to describe Viktor's exact journey to wherever he was taking her best friend. I cared about Rose's safety, sure, but, Lissa's? Not so much. She was just a job. "They're outside a small cabin. They're taking her–"

She stopped and got that horrible, creepy look she always got when she was in Lissa's head. My skin crawled at the sight.

"What? What's wrong?" Alberta asked.

"She's in the Princess's head" I explained. Hank frowned but remained silent – an amazing feat for him. We drove on in silence...

And then Rose shrieked, startling me into jerking the wheel towards the shoulder, I began to pull over.

"No, no!" She moaned, her head in her hands "Keep going! We have to get there!"

"Rose, what's happening?" Alberta asked gently. She blinked.

"They're torturing her… with air" A tear slipped out "This guy… Kenneth… he's making it press against her… into her head"

Rose began crying openly "The pressure's insane. It feels like my – her – skull is gonna explode"

Taking a look at her out of the corner of my eye, I watched the speed dial rise slowly. We had to get there.

_Damn that fucking bond._

Rose's breath came and went in gasps. It was like she was choking, like she was underwater or something. She gasped and panted heavily, crying all the time. "It hurts"

Daemon frowned. _Oh, that is it. Kenneth is so on our list_.

"She's healing him… so pretty… it's like a Disney movie" Rose gasped, smiling "She feels good… but she's weakening. She passed out. We have to get there"

I said some Russian words that would've probably gotten me dismembered and thrown in a cornfield back home. Fortunately, no one in the car spoke my native language – or did they?

Never mind.

Alberta called someone – that was our signal. All the cars in our convoy pulled over. Sixteen guardians, myself included, huddled together to plan our strategy.

"Let's keep this simple" Alberta began "We'll have four people on each side. One lookout, two attackers and a scout. Split up"

Four groups of four immediately assembled. Hank, Alberta and Gunther were my team.

"North, south, east and west sides of the cabin" She commanded, pointing at each group "Choose your positions"

"Gunther, you're our lookout. Hank, you'll scout the perimeter to make sure no one gets away. Dimitri and I will go inside"

We all began scuttling off in different directions. Rose opened the door of the car.

_Oh, no, you're not._

"No, Roza" Her Russian nickname slipped out "You stay here"

"The hell with that. I have to go help her" She snorted.

I decided to take the direct approach, grabbing her chin firmly to make her look at me "You have helped her. Your job is done. You did it well. But this isn't any place for you. She and I both need you to stay safe"

Daemon smacked his hand against his forehead in frustration. _Too much info, lover boy._

_Yeah, you're right. Oh, well. We're all screwed anyway. _

Rose opened her mouth to say something but seemed to rethink it. She pressed her lips into a tight line and nodded. I nodded back and slipped away into the darkness.

* * *

**Hehehehehe. Sorry this took so long... I had exams. Tons of them.**

**Yes, everyone, I will do FROSTBITE sftre I'm done with this thing. And then SHADOW KISS. And then BLOOD PROMISE. So suscribe, but not only to this story - suscribe to me as an author, bc each book will have it's own story.**

**VA is almost over and maybe, if everyone helped me out here, we could make it to 500. It would make me ecstatic (and happy authors write lots more than sad ones).**

**So start reviewing, guys! BTW, I read EVERY SINGLE REVIEW. I just don't always reply.**


	20. Chapter 20

I kicked open the door of the cabin and let Alberta step in before me. She glanced around, and took one step inside…

A bullet whizzed by her head and she dropped to the ground. I stepped in beside her and saw a guardian smiling lopsidedly at the scene.

_Compulsion…_

The Princess was gone.

"Stop moving or we'll shoot the Princess!" Someone threatened.

"No, you won't" I answered levelly "Because that'd be like killing Prince Viktor"

"We'll shoot!" They warned again.

"So will we" Alberta took out her gun and fired three times at the door before us. I heard a dead thump and kicked it open for Alberta too.

Fighting was already going on in the kitchen. Viktor was nowhere to be seen. Ben and Spiridon where there, though, and trying to defeat Alberta and Ferdinand respectively.

I quietly took out my gun and shot them. Two guardians from our group – Jake and Cathy Force – came in through another door grimly.

"We got two guardians tied to a chair. We're not really sure who they are. Is Prince Viktor here?" Jake asked.

"No" Alberta answered "He's probably gone. Who's guarding the prisoners?"

"Team three. Killihan and Weston" Cathy sighed "I'll send the scouts looking for Prince Dashkov"

"Yes" Alberta agreed "Hank and Gunther will patrol the cabin in case anyone comes back. But now we have to find the Princess"

"Rose will know where she is" I said as Cathy slipped out the door "Should I ask her?"

Alberta nodded and I hurried over to our car…

…only to find out that Rose was gone.

_Oh, this is bad. This is very, very, very bad. _Daemon looked horrified – as well he should be. Our seventeen-year-old student was running around through a forest that stretched on for thousands of miles probably trying to find her wounded best friend.

And people wonder why I say my life sucks so often.

_You know, Daemon, now would be the perfect moment to commit suicide._

_I agree._

"They're gone" I told Alberta, bursting into the cabin "Both Rose and the Princess are missing"

And just like that, she was gone. And I was running right after her.

"Go back, Belikov!"

"My charge…" I panted.

"Fine. But stay behind me" She shouted.

I have absolutely no idea how long we ran or how fast. All I knew was that Rose was not where she was supposed to be, and I needed to find her.

Off to our right, someone screamed.

Remembering my orders to stay the fuck back, I peered through some trees as Alberta calmly shot the psi-hounds Rose was foolishly moving towards, a large stick in her hands.

_Who the hell does she think she is? Babe Ruth? _

Lissa leaned against a tree wearily. Two psi-hounds' bodies were scattered through the field. Had Rose really managed to take those out on her own?

She and Lissa slowly made their way to the other body on the ground. The thing was, this body was actually human… and it looked terribly like Christian Ozera.

_Tasha? Hey, it's me, Dimka. I was just calling to tell you your nephew died attacked by a pair of psi-hounds. The burial will probably be closed-casket because, hey, that kid was pretty deformed by then time we got to him. Did you get those flowers I sent you…?_

Lissa stretched out a hand towards him and dropped it. "I can't. I don't have the strength left"

"Come on, Princess. We need to get out of here. We'll send help" Alberta promised.

Rose turned towards Christian and frowned "Liss…"

She tilted her neck towards her best friend.

_Oh, for the love of all that's Holy! How idiotic can this girl get?_

Astonished at her stupidity, I watched Lissa drink from Rose – and she had probably done it several times, since they had not had any feeders for two years. Rose swayed dizzily and was instantly caught by Alberta.

Lissa leaned over Christian and put her hands on him. Hank and Gunther arrived just in time to see what happened next.

Wounds closed, blood stopped flowing and life came back to where there was none before. Someone gasped – maybe it was me? – at the sight of Christian Ozera suddenly alive, well and smiling.

Rose blacked out.

"Get into the car and go back to the school now" Alberta ordered, placing her in my arms "Don't stop for anything. This girl needs help"

I nodded and ran back to the SUV. I opened the door and stretched Rose out until her body lied back on the passenger seat. Her dress was ripped, her makeup smeared and blood was all over her.

She had never looked so heartbreakingly beautiful.

I took her hand as the highway flew below our tires. I had never driven so fast in my life.

_Rose is here. She's alive. We're alive. Oh, God, please help us. Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated…_

She didn't move. Not for half an hour.

_I'll donate money to the poor. I'll pray for a whole day. Oh, I know! I won't eat anything for a week. Just, please, God, I need some help here…_

I had thought seeing her in Lissa's head for the first time – when I had no clue what was going on at all – had been enough to scare a guy shitless, but this… this was a whole new level of terror. My hands were sweating all over the wheel, I was hyperventilating and Daemon simply _refused_ to stop screaming.

_She's gonna die – we need a priest! Stop in the next town!_ He begged.

_NO! NO ONE'S DYING HERE, OK? She'll be fine. We'll be fine. Oh, she better not die on me…_

You might guess the ride to the Academy was not fun. And your guess would be right. As soon as we got to the clinic, Rose was ripped away from me by Dr. Olendski and the nurse shooed me out of the room and into the hallway.

Where I was forgotten for the next five hours. And that was ever so much worse than the car drive. Why? Simple: because I couldn't hold Rose's hand to make sure she was still alive.

Dr. Olendski came out just to assure me that she was gonna be fine and that I should sleep. I practically pushed her back in so she could go on taking care of her.

That night was, unsurprisingly, horrible. How the hell was I supposed to sleep when Rose was in the freaking hospital? No, she wasn't even in a proper hospital, she was _in the school nursery_! How did they expect her to heal properly when they didn't have the necessary equipment? What if she needed some freaky machine that couldn't be found easily? What if she needed special care? _What if she died and it was all my fault?_

No, it didn't look like I was gonna get any sleep.

* * *

**I am so sorry!!!!!!!!**

**Ok, guys, you probably hate me. And you should! But I had exams, and then my USB got lost, and then...**

**Ugh. This chapter was so hard to write. I'm not a great strategist, as you probably noticed during my pathetic fight scene. Anyways, becuase I love you all so much I wanna make it up to you, I will upload a new story called LOVE DOESN'T HURT that I'm sure you'll love.**

**Review! And forgive me! Daemon's asking you to!**

**xoxo**

**Lizzzy**


	21. Chapter 21

THE PENULTIMATE (NEXT-TO-LAST) CHAPTER

She was in there for two days. Two days I spent either in the gym or pacing outside her room. She was kept on serum the whole time.

Lissa remained faithfully by Rose's side while I went insane.

And Daemon, of course, was _not_ helping the matters with his snide comments and insinuations. He was constantly reminding me of the fact that I was a "sick bastardly pedophile" and that my situation would not be a problem had I "placed myself in the hands of Our Holy Mother and asked for her blessed help." He apparently believed love could be willed away with prayer.

Idiot.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, Kirova was practically in hysterics. The last Dragomir princess had been kidnapped while she was in the school dance – _by one of the most influential royals of the known world_. Plus, it was discovered that the aforementioned Dragomir princess had brought her best friend back from the dead – which was why she had been kidnapped in the first place.

It was a mess big enough to make anyone dizzy.

Worst of all, the campus was seething with rumors. People knew Lissa had been kidnapped by Viktor, true, but they had no idea why on earth he had done that. Most guardians were kept in the dark – and knowing Hank the way I did, I could not really condemn Kirova for her decision.

Nor could I deny how glad I was to find out that Dashkov was being guarded 24/7 in one of the school's cells. And Natalie… she should be in there with him, too. She had, after all, hurt Rose by breaking her ankle.

But what _really_ had everyone buzzing was the fact that Lissa dropped Aaron for her current boyfriend, the Ozera kid. Did I mention she did this _while her best friend was in the closest thing we had to a hospital_?

Oh, the drama of being a teenager.

Rose was soon let out of the clinic – too soon. I couldn't face her.

So I took the coward's way out and suspended our practices indefinitely.

_Good. _Daemon sneered. _That way you'll have time to prepare a speech._

_A speech? For what?_

_Well, I assume we're quitting, of course._ He sniffed at my confusion. _After all, you did attempt to rape one of your students. That is not well seen by normal people…_

_But no one knows!_ I protested.

_So turn yourself in. God, Belikov, what would your mother think?_

He had me there. But I, in accordance to my idiotic way of thinking, was determined to postpone the moment.

Running into Rose barely two days after she was released from the clinic was, I guessed, God's way of kicking my ass. Or telling me to go get myself fired already.

I felt like a criminal – heck, I was a criminal, from the law's point of view.

And yet I couldn't help but be relieved when I saw her, a bag slung over her shoulder. Unfortunately, this only lasted for about two seconds.

My hands chose that exact moment to begin sweating.

The situation was the epitome of awkwardness.

_Now would be a good time to start talking. _Daemon prodded.

_But… but… the speech! _

_To hell with that! Just tell her already!_ He growled.

_No. I can't. I won't leave her._ I said firmly.

_You idiot! Can't you see you'd be ruining her life?_ Daemon demanded. _What do you think's gonna happen after she graduates? Everything is against you – hell, you can't even buy her a freaking cup of coffee without getting fired! You. Are. So. Selfish! Oh, sure, it's all dandy for you, but she wouldn't even be able to go to school dances if you ever got together. She needs a study partner, not a teacher!_

_She needs me._ I thought weakly.

_No._ Daemon whispered, knowing what he was gonna say next would hurt me. _She doesn't_. She doesn't even love you.

_She does._

_You can't know_ _that_. He was right. I gave in.

"Rose…" I choked "You need to report what happened. With us"

She frowned "I can't do that. They'll fire you. Or worse"

"They _should_ fire me" I argued "What I did was wrong"

"You couldn't help it! It was the spell…" Rose frowned, confused.

"It doesn't matter. It was wrong. And stupid" Daemon nodded approvingly.

She bit her lip "Look, it's not a big deal"

"It _is _a big deal!" I exclaimed "I took advantage of you"

"No. You didn't" _Does she…?_

_Keep talking!_ Daemon ordered.

"Rose, I'm seven years older than you. In ten years, that won't mean so much, but for now, it's huge. I'm an adult. You're a child"

"You didn't seem to think I was a child when you were all over me" Rose spat.

I cringed – for some reason, Viktoria had come to mind when she mentioned that. I wouldn't want some creep all over _her_. I plunged on "Just because your body…well, that doesn't make you an adult. We're in two very different places. I've been out in the world. I've been on my own. I've killed, Rose— people, not animals. And you…you're just starting out. Your life is about homework and clothes and dances."

"That's all you think I _care_ about?" Her voice was shrilly offended.

"No, of course not" I amended "Not entirely. But it's all part of your world. You're still growing up and figuring out who you are and what's important. You need to keep doing that. You need to be with boys your own age. Even if you choose not to tell, you need to understand that it was a mistake. And it isn't _ever _going to happen again"

"Because you're too old for me? Because it isn't responsible?" She demanded.

_Yes._

_No._ Daemon corrected. _You know what you have to tell her._

"No. Because I'm just not interested in you in that way"

Her face was hurt for a second so brief that I wasn't even sure I hadn't imagined it.

"It only happened because of the spell. Do you understand?" Rose blushed.

"Yeah" She shrugged, acting like I was an idiot "Understood"

It was, in short, a horrible day.

But it was nowhere near as horrible as the next one would be.

I had just finished my breakfast when my phone's alarm began blaring. With all the stuff that had happened, I had forgotten to relieve Gunther and take my shift guarding Dashkov.

I was obviously deranged.

As I walked towards the cells – which were placed smack in the middle of the commons to make escape even harder – I frowned at Daemon's smug silence.

_You are far too happy about this for my liking._

_Yeah, well, you're not happy about anything lately._ He grinned. _Someone has to balance your moods or we'll end up committing suicide._

_Not a bad idea…_ I grumbled. _But we'll kill Viktor first, at least. Do you think choking would take too long? Maybe decapitation would be easier…_

And then I heard it. Something was thrown violently against a wall. Surely Viktor was not strong enough to –

Gunther and James Dawson were sprawled out on the floor in the hallway before the cells' room, unconscious.

_Good God Almighty…_ Daemon breathed.

I charged in without having made any conscious decision to do so. And I almost stopped right then – because Rose was there, on the floor, and blood was all around her.

_No way. There is no fucking way this can be happening to me. No fucking way at all._

Natalie – Natalie? _She _was Strigoi? Like I needed another reason to kill her, Daemon kindly reminded me that not only had she thrown Rose against a wall, she had also broken her ankle.

She had to die, of course.

_Of course._ Daemon agreed. _She hurt Rosie._

Viktor Dashkov's daughter was dead moments afterwards.

"Hey, Comrade" Rose murmured in my arms as I ran towards the infirmary – which was, may I add, _all the way across campus_ – her eyes drooping "You were right about Strigoi"

_That can't be good._

"Rose. Roza. Open your eyes. Don't go to sleep on me" I begged "Not yet"

I could barely see her through the tear I had to furiously blink away. "Was he right?"

"Who?"

"Viktor… He said it couldn't have worked. The necklace" She frowned.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

_Keep her talking, yes. Great idea._ Daemon nodded nervously.

"The spell. Victor said you had to want me…to care about me…for it to work" I didn't answer her.

_Almost there._ Daemon cheered.

"Did you? Did you want me?" She demanded. I sighed.

"Yes, Roza. I did want you. I still do. I wish… we could be together" I admitted.

"Then why did you lie to me?" Rose asked, sounding like a hurt little girl.

I kicked the door of the clinic open. "Help! Help! Somebody! Please…"

Her voice was so faint I could barely hear it "Why did you lie?"

"Because we can't be together"

"Because of the age thing, right? Because you're my mentor?" She guessed.

I wiped a tear – whether it was hers or mine, I didn't know – away from her cheek "That's part of it. But also…well, you and I will both be Lisa's guardians someday. I need to protect her at all costs. If a pack of Strigoi come , I need to throw my body between them and her"

"I know that. Of course that's what you have to do" Rose whispered.

"No" I shook my head sadly "If I let myself love you, I won't throw myself in front of her. I'll throw myself in front of you"

_I already would, Rose. I'd do it… a thousand times, if you asked me to._

Dr. Olendski burst in and took her away.

* * *

**Awwwww.... I love him. I really do.**

**Please review, guys!! I updated really quick just for you!! Thank you for forgiving me so easily... all of you.**

**You don't need an account to review and make me happy, you know. Plus, this is the penultimate chapter. It's special. =)**

**BTW, you guys should check out imaVAMPIRE's story LEARNING TO FALL. It's devastatingly good, and I am flattered that such an amazing author liked this.... um, thing.**

**LYSM!!!**

**xoxo**

**Lizzy**


	22. Chapter 22: The End

In the end, thankfully, everything turned out fine.

Rose was eventually Ok, though Dr. Olendski remained worried about her.

Lissa – well, she was still Lissa. It was now an everyday occurrence to see her washing down pills in the hallways. But, unlike rumors first suggested, she was not taking them to get high. They were anti-depressives, much like the ones my mother had taken after my father left.

Christian Ozera was finally happy. The sarcasm remained, of course, and life didn't suddenly become a field of poppies for him to prance around in, but he was getting better. I was pleased to report to Tasha that, firstly, her nephew was alive, and oddly happy. She squealed girlishly upon hearing the news.

Jesse Zeklos, however, was not doing so well. Thank God. There seemed, at least, to be some justice in the world, because as soon as he and Ralf came clean and confessed that they had, in fact, lied about Rose because Mia had bribed them into it, their reputation basically dwindled away. Well, at least with the female part of the student body. The boys didn't seem to care about what he had done, but Jesse obviously regretted it – and unless he suddenly chose to bat for the other team, as they put it, he would probably regret it for a long time.

Viktor Dashkov… ugh. He escaped – which really made me reconsider my earlier statement about world justice. Until he was caught again.

Daemon was (unfortunately) still there. In fact, he was getting bothersome enough to make me consider a psychiatrist. I was talked out of it – by him – when he voiced his thoughts on the awkwardness of the situation.

_Hello, Mom? I went to see my shrink today. Yes, Debby's fine. Hey, remember that time when I was little and a cow jumped through our kitchen window? Well, I was just wondering whether it actually happened, because, according to Debby, this "schizophrenia" has been going on for quite a while…_

It was not to be. So Daemon stayed – a bit smugly, true, and as idiotically and fanatically religious as always – in my head, "where he belonged" because he was, apparently "sent by God and His Angels to purify my soul and cleanse it of its pedophiliac tendencies so that everyone around me might be healthy and sane." I didn't believe a word of it.

As for Mia, she seemed to be doing even better than the rest. Somehow – I couldn't rule out the possibility of her having used hypnosis – she had managed to put back the shreds of her popularity and emerged once more. She was really enjoying herself, making vicious remarks about Lissa, Christian and Rose in the hallways…

Which brings me back to the earlier topic. Rose. Everything seemed to bring me back to her lately. It was more than a little pathetic, really.

_She loves me. God, she loves me. Why on Earth is she stupid enough to do that?_

I had told her the truth. We couldn't be together – there was no way, no way at all, that we could make it work. It was impossible.

_Seven years younger…_

_So beautiful…_

_Reckless, impatient…_

_Passionate…_

She deserved better. And yet, if I was what she wanted – and she claimed I was, although she was clearly in pain at the time – my first instinct was to please her. It would always be like that. Rose would always be the most important thing in my life, the only thing that I valued above my mother and sisters. The one person that would always matter more than my life – more than anyone's life.

And that was exactly the problem.

* * *

**It's over. Good God, can you guys believe it?**

**Thanks to all of you - to the readers, to the reviewers and to the constant reviewers. I love you all too much for words.**

**I will do Frostbite, of course. I suggest suscribing to me as an author because it will, of course, be in another story. The first chapter should be up in about a week or two, at the most. **

**And guys, please, review just this one chapter. Let's make it to 400, I know we can. I think it's a fair trade - my grades go down as I write this, and you guys repay me by taking a minute out of your valuable time to review anonymously!**

**Daemon and Dimitri say bye and Adrian will soon say hello!**

**xoxo**

**Lizzy**

**PD. PLEASE CHECK MY PROFILE, I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THIS AN TOO LONG BUT I DO HAVE OTHER NEWS YOU'LL WANT TO READ.**


	23. EXTRA: The Cat Incident

Extra

The Cat Incident

"Dimitri Belikov! If you do not grab your food and eat this instant, I _will_ punish you! For three weeks!" Olena yelled, her face red from the heat. Karo and Sonya had already eaten and were playing around upstairs, but Viktoria was giving her some trouble, constantly spitting out her food.

"Aw, Mom! We're in the middle of a game!" Little Dimka yelled, the other 7-year-olds around him waiting expectantly. Baseball was the one thing they loved with a passion, and their summers consisted in practicing their moves over and over again.

"You can play later! I swear, Dimka, if you don't come in right now…" The kids, recognizing the finality in Olena's tone, abandoned her front yard dejectedly, promising they'd be back later. Dimitri stormed into the house and plopped himself down on a chair.

"Mom, can I at least eat outside? It's hot in here" He whined, looking at his plate of meat and vegetables and sighing.

"As long as you eat" The boy was out in a flash, sitting on the porch swing with his food on his legs.

A figure came into view as he munched thoughtfully. The little ball of fur seemed to be a cat – probably belonging to one of the neighbors.

Dimka waited for the animal patiently as it approached him and then licked his fingers. Happy to have made a new friend, and thinking he might get a pet if he pleaded enough, Dimitri offered the cat a piece of his meat.

"Whiskers. I like that name. And I don't know if you're a girl, but that's an OK name for a girl, too. Right, Whiskers?"

Olena finished feeding her youngest daughter and began doing the dishes. She was oddly happy that day – it had been two weeks since the child's father had last visited her, and the bruises on her legs were healing quite nicely. If only she could…

A scream startled her into dropping the glass she was holding into the sink. Olena flew outside, a mother's instinct drawing her towards her only son, her heart thumping in her ears.

"Momma! Get him off me! Get him off!" Dimka wailed, trying to cover his face from the cat's sharp claws. There were scratches all over his little torso and legs. His mother grabbed the cat by the scruff of his neck and threw him away, into the yard.

"Oh, baby – let me see, what did that horrid thing do to you?" Olena inspected her son for damage and, satisfied that he would be OK, cleaned the scratches, sat him down on the sofa and poured him a glass of milk.

"Dimka, you're bleeding!" Sonya gasped from the living room's door.

"What happened to you?" Karo asked, skipping down the stairs.

Yeva – on her way to the kitchen – stopped walking for a moment to hear his reply. When none came, she smiled and shook her head "Dang kid tried to give that poor cat a bath"

* * *

**This was just because I love you guys. And I couldn't resist.**

**I mentioned this in the first chapter and some people expressed their... curiosity. BTW, the first chapter of MENTORY SCHIZOPHRENIA, the Frostbite DPOV (nice title, huh?) will be up on tuesday.**

**But who knows, eh? I just might make it monday if we reach over 418 reviews - I'll let you know why later...**

**xoxo**

**Lizzy**


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